Battle of Towton
1461 CE · England
The Battle of Towton was fought in 1461 CE in England between House of York vs the House of Lancaster; decisive Yorkist victory, fought in a snowstorm and reputed to be the bloodiest battle on English soil.
Battle of Towton: quick facts
- Date
- 1461 CE
- Location
- England
- Belligerents
- House of York vs the House of Lancaster
- Commanders
- Edward IV vs Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset
- Result
- decisive Yorkist victory, fought in a snowstorm and reputed to be the bloodiest battle on English soil.
- Era
- 🏰 Medieval Europe
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Towton?
Fought in a blinding snowstorm near the village of Towton in Yorkshire, this was the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil, with estimates of up to 28,000 killed. The Yorkists used the driving snow to their advantage, as Lancastrian archers fired into the wind and fell short. Edward of York's decisive victory made him King Edward IV and was the defining moment of the Wars of the Roses.
Did you know?
Archaeological excavations of a mass grave at Towton revealed skulls with up to thirteen separate blade wounds, showing the extraordinary brutality of medieval close combat.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Towton on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.