Before the Duke of York set off on his ill-fated journey to Wakefield he had directed his eldest son Edward, the Earl of March, to the West Country and Wales to deal with the fermenting of Lancastrian discontent there. When that had been achieved March was to join him in the north. Edward was at Shrewsbury when he received news of the death of his father and the destruction of the northern army. He was prevented from going north and seeking revenge by news that James Butler, the Earl of Wiltshire, had landed in Wales with a mixed force of French foot and Irish Kerns and joined Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke. When these two lords joined they had about 3-5,000 men and they set off northeastward across Wales to rendezvous with the gathering Lancastrian host in the north. Wales in February is not a hospitable place and the march was difficult and very wearing on the men. The Earl of March was at Ludlow at this time. When he heard of the Lancastrian advance he moved his men first southwest to Wigmore and then south to Mortimer’s Cross to block Jasper Tudor’s progress. By making short moves and quartering his men in towns and villages he shielded his men from the harsh rigors of winter. On the 2nd or 3rd of February Jasper Tudor’s force approached the village from the south.
I apologise for the quality of some of the photos above...I forgot my camera and was recording events on my phone. Luckily John threw in some wide angle shots from his camera.