Battle of Barnet 1471
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Battlefield
- List Entry Number:
- 1000001
- Date first listed:
- 06-Jun-1995
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Battlefield
- List Entry Number:
- 1000001
- Date first listed:
- 06-Jun-1995
- Location Description:
- BARNET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This list entry identifies a battlefield which is registered because of its special historic interest.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This list entry identifies a battlefield which is registered because of its special historic interest.
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Barnet (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- County:
- Hertfordshire
- District:
- Hertsmere (District Authority)
- Parish:
- South Mimms and Ridge
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 24514 97590
Details
BATTLE OF BARNET
1471
The Wars of the Roses were caused by the protracted struggle for power between the reigning dynasty of the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the competing House of York (white rose).
The Earl of Warwick, former ally to the Lancastrians and later to the Yorkists, turned once again to the Lancastrians. Such was his power - he was known as 'the Kingmaker' - that he was able to restore the Lancastrian King Henry VI to the throne in 1470. The following year the Yorkist Edward IV faced his erstwhile ally near Barnet, ten miles north of London.
Early on 14 April, Edward's army advanced while the ground was still obscured by a heavy mist. In the ensuing confusion, and amidst cries of 'treason', the uneasy alliance of former Yorkists and Lancastrians broke down. Warwick's army fled, and Warwick himself was killed.
The death of Warwick the Kingmaker broke the power of the influential Neville family. King Edward set off after the surviving Lancastrians and the stage was set for the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Much of the area over which the battle had ranged was common pasture and heathland with some hedged enclosures. With the golf course retaining the open character of the landscape, the events of the battle are readily understandable on the ground.
AMENITY FEATURES
The memorial to the battle dates from the eighteenth century. It and several key viewpoints are publicly accessible from footpaths. Additional public access would be desirable. Caution is required when crossing the golf course.
OTHER DESIGNATIONS
All of the battlefield area lies within Metropolitan Green Belt and part in a Conservation Area. The area lies within the scope of the Watling Chase community forest initiative. Nearby Wrotham Park is a Registered garden site.
KEY SOURCES
Adair, J, 1968, 'The newsletter of Gerhard von Wessel, 17 April 1471', in the Journal of Society for Army Historical Research, xivi
Bruce, J (ed), 1838, Historie of the Arrivall of King Edward IV, AD 1471
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment to the Selected Sources on 10/04/2019
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 2
- Legacy System:
- Battlefields
Sources
Websites
English Heritage Battlefield Report: Battle of Barnet 1471 (Published 1995), accessed 10 April 2019 from https://historicengland.org.uk/content/docs/listing/battlefields/barnet/
Legal
This battlefield is registered within the Register of Historic Battlefields by Historic England for its special historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 22-Jun-2026 at 06:11:16.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.