After his victory at Blore Heath Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, joined Richard, Duke of York, and Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick at Ludlow. In early October the King’s army moved against them. York’s army was outnumbered two to one and so adopted a defensive posture on the north side of the River Teme at Ludford Bridge just south of Ludlow. They reinforced their defenses by digging ditches and erecting barricades.
During the night of the 12th October Andrew Trollope, the captain of the 600 Calais troops Warwick had brought with him from France, defected and the army fell apart. York and his second son Edmund the Earl of Rutland, fled to Wales and then Ireland. Salisbury, Warwick and York’s eldest son Edward, Earl of March, went to the West Country and then to Calais. Henry returned to Coventry but within six months the country was again riven with dissent and division. Those around the king had exploited their position to enrich themselves at both the king’s and his country’s expense. Hoping to ride this tide of discontent the Yorkist leaders returned. On 26th June Warwick, Salisbury and Edward landed at Sandwich with 2,000 men. By the time they entered London 2nd July their force numbered 10,000 and some say 20,000. A small force of Lancastrians, who had retreated to the Tower, refused to surrender. Warwick left a force to mask the Tower garrison and moved against the king’s 5,000 strong army at Northampton.