Last Battle in England 1469
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PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY .
I originally had permission from the land owner to place a cache by a gate post of the field to the site of the battle but after a discussion with another landowner who also uses the same quiet country lane to the site and got very upset at the thought of unknown strangers turning up at odd times I decided not to put a cache right on the location. The field of the Battle is at N51°39.700, W002°23.700
In this steep sided lane, Lord Berkeley Army slain many of the fleeing Lord Lisle's supporters. Most of Lord Lisle's army was made up of local people who were poorly armed and no match for the more experienced troops within Lord Berkeley army. If you carefully walk up this lane a very short distance you can imagine what it must of been like being a fleeing local and unable to escape Lord Berkeley's troops due to the steep sides. This lane in March back in those days would most likely have been very wet and muddy so making it very hard going up the steep slope back to Nibley. Those killed were buried in an unmarked grave/pit on the East side of the Church at the top of the hill.
THE BATTLE OF NIBLEY GREEN Saturday 20th March 1469
In 1468 the Countess of Shrewsbury died leaving all her property and the disputed manors and claims to her grandson Thomas Talbot, Viscount Lisle, then 20 years of age, and recently married to Margaret the daughter of William Herbert Earl of Pembroke.
Lord Lisle took up the quarrel with all the energy and impatience of youth, and found a ready instrument in Thomas Holt, Lord Berkeley's keeper of Berkeley Castle by a traitor's help called Maurice King, the porter of the Castle, he was gained over by the promise of a lucrative office in Lord Lisle's service, to deliver up the Castle to Lord Lisle.
Smyth gave copies of the letters which passed between Holt and King and Robert Vele, Lord Lisle's' chief agent, relative to this plot, but King turned round and disclosed the whole scheme to Lord Berkeley, and thus saved his master.
Holt fled to Wotton, to Lord Lisle, and the latter was so enraged and disappointed at the failure of the plot, that he wrote the fatal letter and challenge to Lord Berkeley, which led to the fight at "Nibley Green" and his own death. The challenge was dated and delivered on the 19 of March 1469, and the reply was sent back the same day, fixing the next day as the time, with "Nibley Green" the place of meeting, as it lay midway between Berkeley and Wotton.
Lord Berkeley was at this time keeping a garrison at Berkeley Castle, as a precaution against a surprise, but there must have been much hurry and bustle and riding to and fro of messengers on that day, in order to collect the army which showed itself at sunrise the next morning on "Nibley Green", and which is stated to have been not less than one thousand strong.
Lord Berkeley's brother Maurice came with a chosen band from Thornbury where he resided, and a strong party of miners from the Forest of Dean joined the Berkeley banner. It was also said that two rich Bristol merchants, Philip Mead, whose daughter Maurice Berkeley had married, and John Shipward who led a band of citizens to join in the affray. In the enquiry which took place some time afterwards both Philip Mead and John Shipward succeeded in disproving the charge.
Lord Berkeley's army lay that night in the outskirts of Michaelwood adjoining "Nibley Green", with the local country people providing them provisions.
At sunrise the next morning Lord Lisle's party headed by their fiery young leader was seen moving down the hill from Nibley Church, on the open green, which then extended nearly as far as where Bush-street farm-house now stands, and where it joined Michaelwood.
The place of stand, Smyth says, was at Fowles-hard, where Lord Berkeley's men discharged the first flight of arrows upon their opponents.
This name is now unknown today, but a field a few hundred yards to the north of Bush-street farm was formerly called Fowles Grove, now corrupted into Foley's Grove.
A rough forest road running through the midst of Michaelwood from the direction of Berkeley, extended to this place, and probably went on to "Nibley Green", crossing the brook at a ford (or "hard") in the valley below.
We may therefore, conceive the Berkeley men issuing from Foley's Grove on the borders of Michaelwood, and rushing down towards the brook to meet their foes, discharging their arrows as soon as they got into order. The fight was very bloody, though of short duration, Lord Berkeley's party being much the stronger.
Young Lord Lisle was shot with an arrow on the left side of his face - his visor being up - by a Dean Forester, called Black Will, and finished by a dagger-stroke; his fall completed the rout of his party, and the steep lane leading from the green to Nibley Church was soon thronged with the fugitives and their pursuers.
Lord Berkeley led on his victorious followers to Wotton Manor-house which they sacked and pillaged.
Lady Lisle gave premature birth to a dead son sixteen days afterwards, and by this event that family became extinct; a terrible and complete retribution by which the death of Lord Berkeley's mother at Gloucester Castle, at the instance of the Countess of Shrewsbury was fearfully avenged on the descendants of the latter.
The Battle of Nibley Green was fought on 20 March 1469 (modern historians would date the battle in 1470 - prior to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in England the start of the new year was 25 March; the battle being fought on 20 March meant it fell into the previous year).
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