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Tours > Northumberland Battlefields > Hedgeley Moor
 The Battle of Hedgeley Moor - 25th April 1464
On the western side of the A697, at Wooperton, seven miles south-east of Wooler
During the Wars of the Roses the Scottish King had been a great supporter of the Lancastrian cause. However, by 1464, King Henry VI was on the run and Scottish Ambassadors were sent to negotiate with Edward IV at York. Their Excellencies were eventually escorted back home, through Northumberland, by Lord Montague and a small body of men. The Duke of Somerset failed to ambush them at Newcastle and it was left to Sir Ralph Percy to try and bar the enemies passage north.
The two forces clashed on Hedgeley Moor on St. Mark's Day but, by this time, Montague had managed to increase his troops somewhat. They were sufficiently strong to put up an excellent fight against the Lancastrian army and, when Percy was killed in the fighting, his party dispersed.
There are a number of surrounding the battle including that Sir Ralph's horse leapt some thirty feet during the charge that brought the great man down. Stones were erected to mark the spot and these can still be seen in the small enclosure at 'Percy's Leap' where illustrative boards explain the battle. Percy's Cross stands across the road a little way to the south.
Next Stop:
The Battle of Flodden Field
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