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Walking

Discover Shropshire Family Friendly : Bloody Battlefield

A 1.5 mile circular walk around the Battlefield Site.

Explore the site of the brutal battle fought between King Henry IV and the rebellious Harry Hotspur six hundred years ago. Could a sword have changed history?

Look towards the church. What seems like a cluster of quiet fields now was the scene of a bloody battle in 1403 – The sky was black with arrows and English blood soaked the ground. This is where knights in armour were ripped from their horses by a constant deadly rain. A hundred thousand arrows fell in the first minute of the battle!

Harry Hotspur was the son of a powerful northern lord. He’d marched south from Northumberland hoping to raise an army to fight the new King. The rebel Owain Glyndwr had also promised him help from Wales. Harry’s army were tired from walking and hadn’t had breakfast. Worst still his squire had left his favourite sword behind!

One sword doesn’t win a battle. Harry’s men were hungry and not standing in the best place to fight. The King’s men were well fed, and outnumbered Hotspur’s army 2 to 1.

King Henry’s army attacked from the higher ground to the west. First the archers filled the air with arrows, then the knights charged in like steamrollers. Thousands died in the first five minutes.

Distance

1.5 miles

Duration

1 hour

Start from

Battlefield Heritage Site Car Park
View a map

Nearest town

Shrewsbury

Parking

Parking is available at the Battlefield Heritage Site Car Park on the A5124

Terrain

Flattish, mostly good paths, suitable for pushchairs

Circular

Family

Wildlife heritage and geology

Print or downloadAdd favouriteDownload GPX file

In desperation, Harry led a charge against the King, hoping to kill him and win the battle. He failed and was cut down by the King’s body guard.

Harry Hotspur’s death was a huge blow to his army who crumbled. Many thousands were killed fleeing the battlefield. Glyndwr’s Welsh army never arrived.

Battlefield Church (St Mary Magdalene’s) was built in celebration of the battle. Many hundreds of soldiers were buried in a big pit near to the church called a ‘charnel’.

Harry Hotspur’s body was cut into four bits. Each bit was taken to one of the four corners of the country as a lesson to other rebels. Eventually his body was sent home, stuck back together and buried.

Walk directions

  1. Start

    Start at Battlefield Heritage Site car park on the A5124. Go through the small gate and climb up the mound.

  2. Step 2

    Leave the mound and go left heading towards the corner, near the road. Follow the path to the next corner and go through the gate.

  3. Step 3

    Turn right and follow the path through the next gate and keep going passing an information panel,

  4. Step 4

    At the corner go right, through the gates, heading for the church.

  5. Step 5

    At the junction, go straight on following the path through the trees. Keep going to the gate.

  6. Step 6

    Go through the gate following the path to the church.

  7. Step 7

    There’s another panel here and you can go and look at the church. Otherwise follow the boardwalk around the fishponds and the path through the fields.

  8. Step 8

    After the bridge go through the gate on the right and cross the field to go through another gate.

  9. Step 9

    Follow the path back to the viewing mound.

Route leaflet

PDF information may be outdated

This route leaflet may not include recent changes. Some pubs or cafes listed might have altered or closed. For the latest route details, please consult this webpage.

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