The Yorkist Earl of Salisbury was leading his forces south to join with his son Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and the Duke of York at Ludlow. On September 23rd he was intercepted by Lancastrian troops under Lord Audley. Salisbury had about 3,000 men under his command, and was heavily outnumbered, but reinforced his open right flank with a laager of supply-wagons, and managed to repulse rather unco-ordinated attacks by both infantry and cavalry. After Lord Audley was killed, several hundred of his men changed sides and large numbers of the rest were slaughtered as they attempted to flee. Some 2,000 Lancastrian were killed, with the Yorkists losing only a tenth of this number.
Salisbury's victory was complete, and he was able to proceed on his way, helped by a "whimsical" friar who deceived any pursuing Lancastrians by firing a cannon throughout the night. He explained when captured the next day that he had only been doing it to keep up his spirits!
Salisbury did not enjoy his triumph for long. In December next year the Yorkists were disastrously defeated at Wakefield. The Duke of York was killed in the battle, his younger son Edmund, Earl of Rutland was caught and stabbed to death by Lord Clifford, and Salisbury himself was captured and executed.
As soon as York's eldest son, the 19-year-old Edward, heard of this disaster he hastened to London where he had himself proclaimed King. The Earl of Warwick supported him, thereby beginning his climb to legendary status as "Warwick the Kingmaker".
The appalling bloodshed of the War of the Roses was to continue for another quarter of a century.
There is a cross commemorating the death of Lord Audley in a field just south of the road.
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