The Battle of Northampton

Photograph of Delapre Golf Course by Bridget Peet

Far Cotton was the setting for a short, but decisive battle during the War of Roses in 1460.

On 10 July, on what is now Delapre Abbey park and Delapre Golf Course, the Lancastrian army of Henry VI, led by the Duke of Buckingham faced the Yorkist army led by the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick.

The battle started at 2pm and lasted approximately 30 minutes before the Lancastrian army was routed. It was an important victory that resulted in the capture of the King. The Duke of York returned to England shortly after, and an act of settlement was signed that saw the right of succession pass to the House of York.

The Battle of Northampton is also believed to be the first in which artillery was used. The oldest cannonball discovered in England - probably from the Yorkist cannons - was found on the site.

You can find out more about the site of the battlefield from the UK Battlefields Resource Centre.

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