The Rout of Ludford Bridge was a largely bloodless confrontation fought in the early years of the Wars of the Roses.

However, Henry's Queen, Margaret of Anjou, suspected that Richard ultimately intended to supplant her infant son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales and become King himself.

The renewed outbreak of open warfare was precipitated by some high-handed actions by Warwick, who held the post of Captain of Calais.

Though these actions infuriated the royal court, they were popular among the merchants, particularly in London and Kent, as they removed competitors for English trade with Flanders.

York himself was at Ludlow in the Welsh Marches, Salisbury was at Middleham Castle in North Yorkshire and Warwick was at Calais.

Warwick successfully evaded Somerset, while Audley's forces were routed at the bloody Battle of Blore Heath.

Their troops excavated a defensive ditch in a field on the opposite side of the River Teme from Ludlow, near the bridge which gave the battle its name.

However, morale was low, not least because the royal standard could be seen flying in the Lancastrian army, and it was known that King Henry himself was present, in full armour.

There they took a ship, also intending to reach Ireland, but were blown across the Bristol Channel to the West Country where a supporter, Sir John Dynham, loaned them a boat which took them to Calais.

Within six months of the confrontation, Warwick was able to land at Sandwich in Kent, with popular support from London and the south east of England.

He then marched into the Midlands and, aided by treachery in the Lancastrian army, he captured King Henry at the Battle of Northampton.