The siege of Kenilworth Castle ( Eng. Siege of Kenilworth , Kenilworth , Warwickshire , England ) was conducted from June to December 1266 by the army of the English King Henry III during the Second Baron War . It was one of the few attacks on castles during this war. [1]
| Siege of kenilworth castle | |||
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| Main conflict: Second Baron's War | |||
 View of the castle from the gate. | |||
| date | June 21 - December 13, 1266 | ||
| A place | Kenilworth , Warwickshire | ||
| Total | victory of royal troops | ||
| Opponents | |||
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| Commanders | |||
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| Forces of the parties | |||
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| Losses | |||
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Content
Background
In August 1265, the troops of Henry III defeated the leader of the baronial opposition, Simon de Montfort, at the Battle of Evesham , during which the latter was killed. The son of de Monfort in December of the same year surrendered to Northampton , also agreeing to surrender the last stronghold of the king’s opponents, Kenilworth Castle [2] . To this end, he sent the appropriate letters to the local garrison [3] , who in December 1265 and March 1266 refused to fulfill these requirements (the second time the royal envoy was cut off his hand [4] [4] ).
Kenilworth Castle
The architecture of the castle was unique, and thanks to enhanced protection it was ready to withstand long-term sieges [5] .
The most significant defensive element was the dam to the south of the castle, through which the road led from the entrance to the castle courtyard and the main tower. Behind the dam, on the western and southern sides of the castle, there was an artificial lake that impeded the ground actions of the enemy. Channels on the north side and the second basin on the east side of the dam further strengthened this aspect of defense [5] .
Siege
The convocation of feudal lords for a siege was originally scheduled for December 1265, but was postponed to June 21, 1266 [6] . According to estimates, the Kenilower ’garrison consisted of 1,200 men [7] , opposed by an army led by King Henry III and his sons Edmund and Edward [4] .
The besiegers actively used siege machines: trebuche , siege towers and “bears” (“ursus”), where archers also housed. [8] [9] The barges deported from Chester to attack the castle from the lake could not help. [ten]
The castle surrendered on December 13, 1266 due to food shortages and diseases, [11] and the garrison accepted the terms of the sentence of the same name . [12]
Notes
- ↑ Prestwich, Michael. Armies and the English experience. - New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. - P. 297. - ISBN 0-300-07663-0 .
- ↑ Oxford Dictionary of World History, Second Edition, OUP 2006
- ↑ Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Henry III, ed. WW Shirley (Rolls Series, 1862-6), ii, 289-90
- ↑ 1 2 3 Conduit, Brian. Battlefield Walks in the Midlands. - Sigma Leisure. - P. 12–13. - ISBN 978-1-85058-808-5 .
- ↑ 1 2 Page, W., ed. The County of Warwick, vol. 1 (London, 1904), p 380
- ↑ Archived copy (inaccessible link) . The appeal date is January 26, 2009. Archived August 16, 2009.
- ↑ Blajo W. G. , The Barons' War (London, 1871), p. 307
- Ch The Chronicle of Williams of the Rishanger of the Barons' Wars, ed. JO Halliwell (Camden Society, 1840), p 51.
- ↑ Powicke, FM King Henry III and the Lord Edward (Oxford, 1947), p 531.
- ↑ MC Prestwich, Edward I (Berkeley, 1988), p 56;
- Ch 'Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs of London, 1259-66', in English Historical Documents, 1189-1327 (London, 1975), p 193
- ↑ Tout, Thomas Frederick. The Accession of Henry III. to the death of edward iii. (1216-1377) . - Longmans, Green and Co., 1905. - P. 131.