The Battle Of Blore Heath Traditional Cache

A traditional cache situated on the site of the Battle of Blore Heath, one of the bloodiest battles of the Wars of the Roses. The cache is situated in a lovely spot that many of you may have driven past but not realised the historical significance.

Not wishing to be a Blore bore, but we thought we'd include some information about this really historic location as it's about more than finding a tupperware box, isn't it?...

The Battle Of Blore Heath happened on 23rd September 1459 and was between the armies of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The battle would begin the English Wars of the Roses, which was essentially a power struggle between noble factions who were fighting for the throne to England.

On one side was the House of Lancaster - the current King, Henry VI supporters. It's said that the King was a weak leader and prone to mental illness so his wife Queen Margaret of Anjou often reigned in his place.

The King was opposed by the House of York, led by Richard Duke Of York. He was convinced he had a more powerful claim to the throne and was a powerful and wealthy nobleman with great status.

Battlefield layout

The reason for the battle being at Blore Heath is that the House of York needed to travel from their base at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire to their main army encampment at Ludlow Castle in South Shropshire. As they passed through Blore Heath they were ambushed by the House of Lancester on the command of the Queen. James Touchet, Lord Audley was tasked with leading the ambush force.

According to local legend, Queen Mary of Anjou watched the battle from the church tower in the nearby village of Mucklestone. When she realised her army had lost she fled the area on horseback. It is said that she employed the local blacksmith, William Skelhorn, to reverse the shoes on her horse to disguise her getaway. An anvil said to be used by this blacksmith stands in the churchyard to commemorate the event.

A stone cross, called Audley's Cross, still stands in the fields nearby (at approx N52 54.898 W2 25.370) and is said to mark the spot where the Lancastrian leader was killed. Unfortunately this is now on private farmland and not accessible, but you can see it through the hedge from a distance.

Every year, in September, re-enacter's flock to the area to recreate the battle, resplendant in costumes from the period. This has been running since 1998 and draws re-enacters from all over the country.

If you approach the cache from the south (which we recommend), the hedge on the other side of the road from the Public Footpath was known as the "great hedge" and it was behind here that the Lancastrians hid in wait for the arrival of the Duke Of York. The hedge has been dated at about 1000 years old.

The brook you see near the cache site is the Hemphill Brook and was where many of the brave soldiers unfortunately met their maker as it ran right through the gap between the opposing forces and was where they met in battle.

You are looking for a regular lock 'n' lock cache with the usual array of goodies. It should be an easy find (this cache is about the historical location rather than a tricky hunt) - please make sure you hide it as well, if not better, than you found it.

There is sometimes an electric fence in the field on the way to the cache but there is an obvious way over it.

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