May 2nd 1471: A Skirmish at Chipping Sodbury
Chipping Sodbury with Sodbury Hill beyond
Sodbury is a strange place to choose to do battle. The Lancastrian arm would approach from the vale but the Yorkists would arrive at the Cotswold escarpment, 300 feet above them, and would surely have the advantage.
Warkworth’s Chronicle gives a matter-of fact account:
Wherethrough they took new courage, the Thursday after to take the field, and give the King battle, for which intent they had sent foreriders to a town ix mile from Bristol, called Sodbury, and, a mile towards the King, they appointed a ground for their field at a place called Sodbury Hill. The King, hearing this, the same Thursday, with all his host in array and fayre ordinance came towards the place by them appointed for their field.
The ‘Arrivall’ tells the same story but enlarges upon it. For the first time, there is a clash, as Edward’s men are disturbed, and put to flight by Margaret’s advance party.
The enemies also advanced them forth, the same day, out of Bristol, making semblance as though they would have come straight to the place appointed, but, having knowledge of the King’s approaching, they left that way, albeit their herbengars [advance riders] were come afore them as far as Sodbury town; where they distressed certain of the King’s party, five or six, such as negligently pressed so far forwards, dreading no danger, but only intending to have purveyed there their masters lodgings; and so they changed their said purpose, and took their way straight to Berkley, traveling all that night, and, from thence, towards the town of Gloucester.
This was another Lancastrian ruse. On the evening of May 2nd, the Yorkist army was confused. They had marched to Sodbury Hill and prepared themselves for battle, awaiting the Lancastrians, encouraged by the arrival of fore-riders in the town. It would be well into the night before Margaret’s army was located, moving in a completely different direction.
The King, the same Thursday, soon after noon, came near to the same ground, called Sodbury Hill, and, not having any certainty of his enemies, sent his scourers all about in the country, trusting by them to have known where they had been. About that place was a great and a fair large plain called a wold, and doubtful it was for to pass further, to he might hear somewhat of them, supposing that they were right near, as so they might well have bene, if they had kept forth the way they took out of Bristol. And, when he could not here any certainty of them, he advanced forwards his whole battle, and lodged his vanward beyond the hill, in a valley towards the town of Sodbury, and lodged himself, with the remnant of his host, at the self hill called Sodbury Hill.