Medieval Mayhem in Sussex | The Battle of Lewes Re-enactment

What a magnificent spectacle this is. To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Lewes, that splendidly unruly affair of 14th May 1264, when England once again demonstrated its long-standing national talent for settling political disagreements by hitting one another with sharpened bits of metal in muddy fields. On one side stood King Henry III and his Royalist army; on the other, the rebel Barons led by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, a man with the sort of name that sounds as though he ought to own several castles and a collection of unusually aggressive hunting dogs. De Montfort had positioned his forces atop Offam Hill, which was all very strategic and impressive, while the King’s son, Prince Edward, young, fearless, and evidently not overburdened by caution, thundered in with his cavalry and gave the London militia a tremendous hiding. For a few glorious moments, it looked as though the Royalists might carry the day. But history, rather unfairly at times, has a habit of punishing enthusiasm. Edward pursued the fleeing rebels with such gusto that he left his father’s flank wide open, rather like forgetting to shut the front door in the middle of a burglary. De Montfort spotted the opportunity immediately and piled in with great determination and, one suspects, considerable satisfaction. The Royalist army collapsed into a fighting retreat through the streets of Lewes and back toward the castle, where matters went from bad to catastrophic. King Henry was captured, Prince Edward was captured, and Simon de Montfort briefly became the nearest thing England had to an uncrowned king, which must have made for some extremely awkward dinners. Of course, this being medieval England, nobody stayed defeated for very long. Prince Edward eventually escaped captivity, gathered another army, and returned for a final reckoning at the Battle of Evesham, where de Montfort’s remarkable run came to a particularly grisly end, and the future course of England was decided once more in the traditional national fashion: loudly, bloodily, and with very poor prospects for the average foot soldier. But today is not about grim endings. Today, we celebrate the courage, determination, and sheer hardiness of those who fought here in Lewes more than seven centuries ago. These cobbled streets, so peaceful now, once rang with the crash of steel on maille, the thunder of hooves, and no doubt a great deal of shouting from people who suddenly regretted joining medieval politics. So raise a tankard, cheer the marchers and reenactors, and spare a thought for those extraordinary souls who shaped our history the hard way. For the past, however untidy and improbable it may sometimes seem, is what brought us to where we stand today. #battleoflewes #history #britishhistory #lewes #medievalhistory