Battle of Tewkesbury Battlefield

On May 4, 1471, the Battle of Tewkesbury effectively ended the Lancastrian cause in the Wars of the Roses. Edward IV’s Yorkist army destroyed the forces of Margaret of Anjou, killing thousands including the Lancastrian Prince of Wales. The massacre that followed in Tewkesbury Abbey and the streets remains one of the war’s darkest moments. The ghosts of slaughtered Lancastrians haunt the battlefield, the abbey, and the town.

The History

The Battle

The Lancastrian army was trapped:

• Exhausted after a forced march
• Backed against the River Severn
• No retreat possible
• Edward IV commanded the Yorkists personally
• His brother Richard (future Richard III) led the vanguard
• The Lancastrian line broke

The “Bloody Meadow”

The field where most died:

• Hand-to-hand slaughter
• No quarter given
• Men drowned trying to cross the Severn
• The meadow ran red with blood
• Still known by that name today

Prince Edward’s Death

The Lancastrian heir was murdered:

• Captured after the battle
• Brought before Edward IV
• Accounts vary on what happened next
• Some say he was murdered in the king’s presence
• Others that he was killed fleeing
• His death ended Lancastrian hopes

The Abbey Massacre

Yorkists violated sanctuary:

• Fleeing Lancastrians sought refuge in the abbey
• Yorkist soldiers dragged them out
• Executed them in the churchyard
• The abbey was desecrated with blood
• Had to be re-consecrated

The Aftermath

The Lancastrian cause died:

• Margaret of Anjou captured
• Her son dead
• The nobility executed
• Edward IV secured his throne
• Only Henry Tudor remained in exile

The Hauntings

Prince Edward

The murdered heir appears:

• Young, in armor
• Blood-soaked
• Sometimes pleading for mercy
• Other times defiant
• The moment of his death replays
• Most active in the abbey

The Bloody Meadow

The slaughter continues:

• Sounds of hand-to-hand combat
• Screaming and dying
• The clash of weapons
• Men calling for help
• The grass seems to run red
• Cold spots even in summer

The Abbey Sanctuary

Violation of holy ground:

• Men being dragged from the church
• Screaming and begging
• Executions in the churchyard
• Priests protesting helplessly
• The sanctity destroyed

Margaret of Anjou

The Queen appears:

• Watching her son die
• Her cause destroyed
• Grief and rage combined
• A powerful, tragic presence
• Her kingdom lost

The Duke of Somerset

The Lancastrian commander:

• Executed after the battle
• His ghost near the abbey
• The moment of his death
• Loyalty rewarded with execution
• He stands proud still

The Fleeing Army

Men drowning in the Severn:

• Desperate attempts to swim in armor
• The pursuit was merciless
• Sounds of drowning men
• Bodies floating
• The river claimed hundreds

Anniversary Phenomena

May 4 brings intense activity:

• The battle replays
• The abbey is especially active
• Blood appears on abbey floors
• Only to vanish
• The dead reclaim their ground

Tewkesbury Abbey

The medieval church stands:

• Prince Edward may be buried here
• Intense paranormal activity
• Footsteps in empty aisles
• Whispered prayers
• Cold spots near the altar
• The blood of 1471 has never washed away

The Town

Ghosts throughout Tewkesbury:

• Soldiers in period armor
• Running through streets
• Seeking sanctuary that won’t come
• The hunt continues
• No safe refuge

Modern Activity

The battlefield and abbey are accessible:

• Visitors report phenomena consistently
• Audio recordings capture battle sounds
• Photographs show anomalies
• Re-enactors have strange experiences
• The Wars of the Roses continue

---

The Battle of Tewkesbury destroyed the Lancastrian cause. Prince Edward was murdered, his mother captured, and their army slaughtered without mercy. Men were dragged from sanctuary and executed in the abbey. The “Bloody Meadow” earned its name in the slaughter. More than 500 years later, Prince Edward still bleeds, the Lancastrians still flee, and the abbey’s sanctuary is still violated. Tewkesbury has never forgotten its bloodiest day.