When Edward III died in 1377, his eldest son Edward “the Black Prince” had died the year before, so his grandson succeeded instead as Richard II, aged 10. Inevitably young Richard was in the hands of courtiers and advisers. His later rule was relatively stable but from 1397 he became an erratic tyrant, executing more of his opponents than was considered polite even by medieval standards.

Henry Bolingbroke was another grandson of Edward III via John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. He’d been exiled to France but in 1399 returned in force, finding support from other barons and Richard conveniently absent in Ireland. By the time Richard returned it was too late and he was deposed without putting up a fight. Bolingbroke became Henry IV and imprisoned Richard, who soon died in Pontefract Castle. It was probably by starvation, but later writers had fun inventing lurid deaths for him.

Pontefract is a market town in Yorkshire whose motto “Post Mortem Patris Pro Filio” arose in the 17th century Civil Wars, when it stood out for the Royalists even after the beheading of Charles I. The victorious Cromwell made sure to smash the castle, but it’s still an impressive ruin.

The House of Lancaster was now top dog and the Yorkists mighty sore. There were to be three Henrys but Shakespeare spun out the saga to six: Henry IV Parts One and Two, Henry V, and Henry IV Parts One, Two and Three.

The future Henry IV was born in 1367 at Bolingbroke Castle in Spilsby in Lincolnshire, now a ruin that you visit. He faced incessant rebellions, overseas wars that eroded his territories in France, and rumours that the deposed Richard was about to emerge from hiding to reclaim the throne. Henry was often seriously ill, and he died aged 45 in 1413. His tomb is in Canterbury Cathedral.

His eldest son Henry, born 1386 in Monmouth Castle, turned out to be a brilliant military leader. As Henry V he renewed the war with France, with a string of victories culminating at Agincourt in 1415. The peace deal was that he got to marry the daughter of King Charles VI of France and would inherit the crown from that sad old madman, who surely couldn’t last long. But then Henry fell ill and died near Paris, aged only 35, while Charles outlived him by a couple of months.

His son Henry VI was only eight months old when he became king. He was placed in the care of regents, who intrigued and quarrelled mightily. He was also crowned King of France, as the French abided by the peace deal until it became obvious that neither the regents nor the growing Henry VI had remotely the same military prowess as his father. English power imploded, Joan of Arc routed them in France, and in 1454 Henry became a catatonic recluse. Parliament decided to recall his nearest senior relative Richard Duke of York from exile in Ireland, who began to sort out the mess, at which point Henry snapped out of his catatonia and rescinded Richard’s actions. But Richard had a bigger and better army, and believed himself the true heir to the throne. The two factions’ armies met at St Albans. Game on.

Both sides set out towards Leicester, where Henry IV planned to denounce Richard and impose a gruesome punishment. Henry rode out with the 2000-strong Lancastrian force, commanded by the Duke of Buckingham as their usual commander Duke of Somerset had overseen too many debacles. It was mainly Somerset that Richard Duke of York was gunning for, and a tame captive king would suit him better than regicide. As his own force of maybe 5000 approached St Albans, they found the Lancastrians already ensconced there.

22 May 1455 was the first outright battle of the War of the Roses, and a rare example of a battle fought in city streets, rather than open country where you could deploy cavalry. York attacked from the south, with the Lancastrians defending a line near the cathedral, but his first attack was beaten back. A second attack found an undefended quarter of town and caught the Lancastrians off guard. So barely 30 minutes after battle began, Henry IV was taken prisoner and Somerset was hacked to pieces.

51.7504-0.33751 St Albans was the Roman town of Verulanium, and takes its present name from Alban the first British Christian martyr. Most of its heritage relates to that era and to the medieval period when it became a cathedral city. Castle Street was the battlefront.

Thus fell the House of Lancaster, and began the rule of York. Richard and his prisoners returned to London: his existing status was as “Lord Protector”, holding power whenever Henry was unable to rule. It wasn’t difficult to persuade Parliament to re-confirm that position, nor to persuade the wounded Henry that he was feeling a bit off-colour and not up to doing any ruling.

The situation was unstable, as Henry was still the nominal king, and both sides had powerful supporters. Lancastrian support was organised by Henry’s consort Queen Margaret of Anjou. In Feb 1456 Henry declared he was feeling much better thank you, away you go York. York suspected that something worse than dismissal was imminent: he had 5000 troops at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire, and called them to join his main force at Ludlow Castle near the Welsh border. The Lancastrians marched north under Lord Audley to intercept, and on 23 Sep 1459 laid an ambush on Blore Heath two miles east of Market Drayton. Their 10,000 troops hid behind a hedge, but with the benefit of hindsight, it was maybe a mistake to leave their banners and pennants fluttering above the hedge for all the world to see.

The heath was open grazing land, the preferred terrain for cavalry, but a deep ditch ran across it. The outnumbered Yorkists (led by Lord Salisbury) reckoned that whoever attacked first would suffer serious losses. So they pretended to retreat, and the Lancastrians fell for it. Three attacks were launched to no gain and great cost, Lord Audley was slain, some 500 Lancastrians defected and laid about their own side, and the Yorkists won.

52.9044-2.48482 Blore Heath has a plaque at the site but that’s all.

Richard Neville (1428-71), 16th Earl of Warwick, was a formidable warrior dubbed "king-maker" as his support and leadership were often pivotal in battle. When he entered the arena on the Yorkist side, he'd already distinguished himself on the continent. He controlled the English Channel, where he was a brutal pirate looting even neutral ships. His army crossed from Calais, dodged the Lancastrians and joined York at Ludlow. But still the Yorkists were outnumbered two-to-one. They set off towards London but when they met the Lancastrians in strength they retreated to Worcester then Ludlow, where they had to make a stand.

52.368-2.7173 Ludlow is a charming market town in Shropshire. The highlight is the castle, which has a grand bailey: you could shelter a large army and the entire town population within if you had to. The old road from the south enters town through the hamlet of Ludford and the bridge across the River Teme, which was formerly the boundary with Herefordshire. The Yorkists barricaded the bridge and dug in for a fight.

But on 12 Oct 1459 here comes Henry himself in shining armour, looking every inch the noble warrior leader. The Yorkist spiel was that they were never fighting the king, just his wicked advisers and courtiers who were taking advantage of a pathetic idiot. But now? - now to fight was treason, especially if you lost, and the numbers said you'd lose, even before 600 of your side defected. The Yorkists lost heart. Along with Warwick, the Duke of York scarpered back to the castle, leaving his family to be captured and his troops to tamely surrender next morning. The so-called "Battle of Ludford Bridge" was a bloodless walkover.

The Duke of York retreated to his power base in Dublin and Warwick to his in Calais, where they rebuffed Lancastrian schemes to oust them. Against Calais the Lancastrians built an invasion fleet at Sandwich, but Warwick swooped in and stole the ships: sometimes it really pays to have a pirate on your side. The port was also captured by Yorkist land assault, so now they had a bridgehead whenever Warwick's forces returned.

Sandwich was one of the "Cinque Ports" responsible for England's maritime defence. The sea was retreating along the Kent coast, and the river changed its course, so Sandwich became literally a backwater. This means its medieval centre was preserved.

Warwick landed at Sandwich in June 1460 and marched on London. He had only 2000 men but was unopposed, with Henry and his main force away in the Midlands. The city surrendered without a fight and the Yorkists left the Tower of London garrison bottled up while they continued north, encountering the 5000-strong Lancastrians defending Northampton.

52.233333-0.94 Battle of Northampton was fought on 10 July 1460. The Lancastrians had cannons – the first time artillery was employed in battle in England – plus superior numbers and prepared defences in the grounds of Delapré Abbey. They were undone by heavy rain that doused their gunpowder, and by treachery: Lord Grey on the north flank changed sides, which Warwick already knew about and did not attack there. The Lancastrians were outflanked and retreated, and the whole thing was over in 30 minutes. Henry was taken captive in his tent.

Northampton is midway between London and Birmingham. It had previously seen battle in 1264, in a rebellion against Henry III. The medieval town was destroyed in a great fire in 1675 so much of its heritage relates to its 18th / 19th century industrial heyday, when it made shoes. Delapré Abbey is half a mile south of the centre: what you see now is a Georgian neo-classical mansion and gardens, while the battle site is a riverside public park and golf course.

Henry was held overnight in the abbey while its nuns tended to the wounded. He was then taken to town then London, where the Tower garrison had surrendered. Lord Grey was made Treasurer, purely on merit of course.

The Duke of York now regained his former position of “Lord Protector” but had been conspicuously absent in Dublin since the Ludlow debacle, brooding upon his rightful claim to the throne, while Warwick made all the running. In October 1460 he returned to London in royal pomp, strode to the Great Hall of Parliament, laid his hand on the empty throne, and turned to await the assembled barons and bishops’ applause. He was met by shocked silence.

York had little support for his royal claim among the barons or wider public, and his naked ambition alienated supporters such as Warwick. He had to make do with again being Lord Protector, with Henry as puppet king.

The compromise was the “Act of Accord”, whereby Henry remained king but York would inherit the throne. But Queen Margaret in the north retained a large Lancastrian army, and while she might not pine much for her hapless husband she was never going to let their son Edward of Westminster be disinherited. And her barons laid aside their feuds with each other to unite against York. Their armies swelled at Hull and Pontefract, pillaging Yorkist possessions. York couldn’t ignore this and himself marched north in Dec 1460 with 8000 men. There was a minor skirmish at Worksop but the main force hunkered down at Sandal Castle 3 miles south of Wakefield.

53.6825-1.49755 Battle of Wakefield was fought on 30 Dec 1460 when the Yorkists sallied out of the castle against the encircling Lancastrians. It’s not clear why they did so, probably York was trying to stay on the offensive and forestall a siege, was rash, and had no idea he was up against a force of 18,000. He and his younger son, noble allies and army were swiftly encircled and cut down. The only crown Richard Duke of York got to wear was the mocking paper crown on his lopped head above Micklegate in York.

Wakefield was traditionally the county town of West Yorkshire, and is mostly modern. It’s expanded to surround the gnarly stump of Sandal Castle, and its metropolis includes the market town of Pontefract. Other major attractions are the mining museum and the artwork of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.

The triumphant Lancastrians marched south towards London, which was defended by Warwick. Both sides had sizable forces in Wales or the bordering counties of England, which thus faced a dual task: to unite with their main army, and to prevent the other lot from doing so. The outlying Yorkists were led by Richard of York’s older son Edward, Earl of March, who’d inherited the dukedom and claim to the throne. The rivals met near Leominster.

52.233333-2.7333336 Battle of Mortimer's Cross – was on 2 Feb 1641 at a crossroads at Kingsland 3 miles north of Leominster. Details are sketchy but it was recorded that dawn was enlivened by a “sun dog”, the appearance of three rising suns caused by atmospheric ice. The Lancastrians attacked first and were initially successful, but the Yorkists stood firm, counter-pressed then broke the opposition. The Lancastrians fled to Hereford, where their leader Owen Tudor was captured and beheaded.

Leominster (pronounced "Lemster") is a pleasant market town. The precise battle site is not known but it was on the estates of Croft Castle, which was rebuilt in 1660 and turned into a stately mansion.

This diversion meant that Warwick had to check the Lancastrian main advance before his Welsh reinforcements could arrive. He marched with the captive Henry VI in tow like a regimental mascot. His troops deployed across the Great North Road to the north of St Albans. But the Lancastrians swerved west and captured Dunstable, a move unnoticed by Warwick’s scouts, so the Yorkists sat there unaware that they were now outflanked and cut off from London.

Second Battle of St Albans on 22 Feb 1461 resembled the first in being mostly fought in the city streets. It likewise involved a first attack repulsed, then a second that met little opposition. The Lancastrians were now free to go up the road and hit Warwick’s main forces from behind. He lost 2000 men and by nightfall his position was untenable. He and 4000 survivors retreated into Oxfordshire, leaving behind the bemused Henry. So the Lancastrians regained their king and had London at their mercy.

The only barrier to their advance was their own reputation, as they’d looted and pillaged mightily on the road south. London hurriedly prepared to defend against them, they weren’t equipped to mount a siege, and the western Yorkists were imminent. Lancastrian discipline could not survive a victory that left the men sated with plunder and anxious to leg it home with the spoils. They fell back to Dunstable then scattered to the winds, so the ostensibly defeated Yorkists returned to London and proclaimed the Earl of March as King Edward IV.

But with Henry freed there were now two kings, and the Yorkists were outraged that their ancestral base in York was now a bastion for the re-grouping Lancastrians. They had to move fast and decisively.

The Yorkists came north in four bodies, and there was a preliminary battle on 28 March at Ferrybridge near Pontefract for control of the river crossing. Warwick was injured and a Lancastrian leader Clifford was killed, but a Yorkist group got across the river a few miles west and tipped the battle for the bridge.

53.8852-1.2627 Battle of Towton was the bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil. Dawn on 29 March 1461 saw both forces encamped near Tadcaster. A snowstorm was blowing, and one Yorkist army was yet to arrive so they were well outnumbered. But they advanced to the limit of their normal archery range, loosed off a volley then fell back. The wind-boosted arrows slammed into the Lancastrians, whose upwind reply fell short. This measure was repeated, provoking the Lancastrians to charge into close combat. Battle raged for three hours with the Lancastrians gradually gaining, until the final Yorkist contingent arrived and momentum shifted. Running battle-cum-rout lasted the rest of this terrible day.

The likely death toll was 10,000 between the two sides, but crucially the Lancastrians lost most of their noble leaders while Yorkists survived. Henry and his family fled to Scotland. His cause and wits were shattered and he could never again challenge for the crown. Well, almost never.

Tadcaster is a small market town on the road between Leeds and York, now bypassed by A64. Towton is a little village 3 miles south, and the battle was fought between there and Saxton two miles further south. A memorial stands on B1217.

Edward IV was officially crowned on 28 June, glad-handed his favourites all round, and began to buddy up to Scotland. So Henry had no military backing from that quarter: Queen Margaret travelled to France to seek support, while he tried to rouse England’s far north.

Battle of Hedgeley Moor on 25 April 1464 was an attempt to disrupt Anglo-Scots diplomacy: both sides had about 5000 men but the Lancastrians swiftly crumbled. That battle site is near Powburn a few miles south of Durham, which is a charming cathedral city with a medieval centre

54.966667-2.18 Battle of Hexham on 14 May 1464 was a similar affair with a similar outcome: Henry had been kept away from both encounters and was now a refugee in his own country, couch-surfing between sympathetic mansions. The Yorkists soon traced him, and caught him in the woods of Waddington Hall near Clitheroe. Off to the Tower with him! But he wasn’t killed, as that would only transfer his royal claim to his son safe in France.

Siege of Bamburgh Castle in June / July 1464 was a stubborn example of the mopping-up still to be done in the north: Somerset had defended it for the Lancastrians and now had to be put to death all over again.

Edward’s reign was secure until he blew it. He made a secret unwise marriage to a lowly Lancastrian widow Elizabeth Woodville. He fell out with his younger brother George Duke of Clarence and with Warwick. They fomented rebellions which drew Edward away from London, while they gathered troops purportedly to assist him.

52.061389-1.3391679 Battle of Edgcote was on 24 July 1469 six miles north of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The loyalists had a numerical edge but broke first and scattered, leaving Edward to be captured. He was taken to Warwick Castle “for protection”, but Warwick and Clarence found no support for their machinations – in September they had to release him to resume the throne, while their own situation had become perilous. So they tried again.

Banbury is 32 miles north of Oxford and best known for the rhyme "Ride a cock-horse . . . " That's probably from the 18th century but who it might refer to is unknown.

52.666389-0.59638910 Battle of Losecoat Field on 12 March 1470 involved the same ruse, of Warwick and Clarence fomenting a rebellion and arming ostensibly to suppress it. Few were fooled. The battle was over almost in seconds: a cannon blast withered the rebels then a charge by Edward’s troops set their survivors running. Warwick and Clarence fled to France one step ahead of the executioner’s axe. “Losecoat” sparked a legend of the rebels hurling away identifying jackets and regalia, but it's more likely a misreading of the local name for a pigsty. The site is near Empingham just east of Rutland Water, the great artificial lake that now submerges a third of that county.

And still they tried, this time with support from Queen Margaret and the King of France. They invaded in October 1470, deposed Edward without a fight, exiled him to the continent, and re-instated poor bewildered Henry as king. Of course Warwick and Clarence ruled in his name.

Back came Edward next spring, backed by the King of Burgundy, who was definitely not a friend of the King of France, nor of Warwick. Back to the Tower went Henry.

51.654-0.20111 Battle of Barnet ensued on 14 April 1471, Easter Day. Edward had made peace with Clarence but Warwick was the more formidable foe. The battle was fought in fog and confusion: on one flank the Lancastrians routed the Yorkists but as they came back to their own lines they came under “friendly fire”. Shrieks of “treason!” spread like wildfire through the Lancastrians and they turned and ran: Warwick was slain in the debacle. But on the same day, Queen Margaret landed in force at Weymouth with her son Edward of Westminster and marched north to join supporters in the Welsh borderlands.

Barnet is a bland suburb 18 miles north of London, a terminus of the Northern Line of the Underground. In cockney rhyming slang it's the word for "hair", from "Barnet Fair".

51.986-2.13612 Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471 was last throw of the dice for the Lancastrians. Queen Margaret's troops needed to cross the Severn to join their allies, were blocked at Gloucester, and were at Tewksbury when the Yorkist caught up. The forces were even but the Yorkists were better rested: the broken ground was unsuitable for cavalry so it came to archery, infantry and spearmen. The Lancastrians were smashed, Edward of Westminster was slain, and the Queen surrendered.

Tewkesbury is north of Gloucester and Cheltenham; it has a fine abbey and has preserved its medieval centre. The battle is vigorously re-enacted, only with more sci-fi ghouls and merchandising than the original.

With the sole heir of Henry VI killed there was no longer any need to keep him alive, and he coincidentally died in the Tower (aged 45) when Edward IV returned to London in triumph. There were still rebellions and incursions to fight off but the Lancastrian line was almost extinguished. Their only other possible royal claimant was a young fellow from Pembroke called Henry Tudor - he was spirited away to Brittany out of Edward’s reach.

"Drowned in a butt of malmsey" is the one thing people remember about George Duke of Clarence (1449-78), younger brother of Edward IV. He'd got away with one treacherous rebellion, but Edward suspected him of plotting another - off to the Tower with him! A "butt" is a barrel of 126 wine gallons / 477 litres of strong, sweet malvasia wine, and Clarence like other nobles drank plenty. He was almost certainly done to death by standard medieval methods, and the story grew from a chortling response to his demise: "Hyuk, hyuk, knowing him he probably drowned in, hyuk hyuk hyuk." The consequence was that the third brother Richard came a step closer to the throne, if anything should happen to Edward and his sons, heaven forbid, hyuk hyuk hyuk.

Edward ruled for 11 more years, became a bloated binge-eater, and died in 1483 aged 41. He had ten legitimate children by Elizabeth Woodville and a slew of others. His oldest son, then aged 12, became Edward V, while a younger son Richard became Duke of York. But not for long.