England's historic battlefields mapped

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Over the centuries England's green and pleasant land has been the sight of some grim and bloody fighting.

Factions battling over territory and the right to rule the nation have clashed the length and breadth of the country, leaving their mark on every region.

So if you want to know the who, the when and the why of battles in your area and their significance in England’s history read on below where we’ve mapped out the 45 sites classed as protected under the Historic England listing system.

1 Battle of Bosworth (Field) 1485

The battle of Bosworth was the last major engagement in the Wars of the Roses. In one of history’s most staggering reversals, the royal army lost to a rebel force half its size, leaving King Richard III dead and allowing Henry Tudor to claim the throne as Henry VII.

Location: Stoke Golding, Leicestershire

2 Battle of Blore Heath 1459

One of the first battles in the Wars of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster. Royalist forces were sent by the Queen to intercept the Earl of Salisbury’s troops on their march to join with the Duke of York’s army at Ludlow. The battle was a decisive victory for the Yorkist soldiers.

Location: Bloreheath, Market Drayton, Staffordshire

3 Battle of Northallerton 1138

Also know as the Battle of the Standard, this engagement came about when King David of Scotland sought to enter England to support his niece Matilda’s claim to the throne over King Stephen. The Scottish army, led by David were quickly repelled by English forces raised by Archbishop Thurstan of York.

Location: Standard Hill, Northallerton, North Yorkshire

4 Battle of Marston Moor 1644

Thought to be the largest battle ever fought on English soil, with around 46,000 combatants. This Civil War battle saw the defeat of Prince Rupert’s northern Royalist army by the Parliamentarian forces of Oliver Cromwell. The rout of the Royalist army help cement Cromwell’s reputation as a great leader.

Location:Wilstrop, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

5 Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066

The Battle of Stamford Bridge was fought between the armies of the English king Harold Godwinson and and the joint forces of his brother Tostig and Norway’s King Harald Hardrada, who hoped to claim the English throne for himself. The Vikings suffered heavy losses and were soundly beaten but the battle in Yorkshire left Harold’s forces ill-prepared to face William of Orange’s army at Hastings just three weeks later.

Location: Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire

6 Battle of Tewkesbury 1471

A key episode in the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Tewkesbury brought decisive victory to the Yorkists. With the Lancastrian heir Edward, Prince of Wales dead along with many of his noblemen the Yorkist Edward IV was free to reign in peace until his death in 1483.

Location: Wheatpieces, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire