Battle of Lewes

Battle of Lewes
Part of Second Barons' War
Plan of the Battle of Lewes
Date 14 May 1264 Location Lewes, Sussex 50°52′43″N 0°0′50″W / 50.87861°N 0.01389°W / 50.87861; -0.01389 Result Baronial victory
Belligerents
Royal forces	Baronial forces
Commanders and leaders
King Henry III (POW) Prince Edward (POW) Richard of Cornwall (POW) Humphrey de Bohun (POW) John de Warenne William de Valence Roger Mortimer (POW)	Simon de Montfort Gilbert de Clare Nicholas de Segrave Henry de Montfort Guy de Montfort Humphrey (V) de Bohun Hugh le Despenser
Strength
~10,000	~5,000
Casualties and losses
2,700	Unknown

The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264.^[1] It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made him the "uncrowned King of England". Henry III's forces left the safety of Lewes Castle and St. Pancras Priory to engage the barons in battle and were initially successful, with Henry's son Prince Edward routing part of the baronial army with a cavalry charge. However, Edward pursued his quarry off the battlefield and left Henry's men exposed. Henry was forced to launch an infantry attack up Offham Hill where he was defeated by the barons' men defending the summit. The royalists fled back to the castle and priory and the King was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, ceding many of his powers to de Montfort.