News

Threat to the Registered Battlefield of Bosworth
24 August 2018
Planning Application 18/00425/FUL – Bosworth Battlefield
The above planning application is for the construction of a Connected and Autonomous Vehicle testing track, associated buildings, infrastructure and landscaping over part of the western edge of the nationally important registered battlefield of Bosworth (1485). It is due to be considered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Plannign Committee on 28 August 2018.
Like many other interested parties, the Trust only learned on 22 August that this application had been made.
The Trust agrees with Historic England that the battlefield will be harmed by this development, but judges such harm would be toward the upper end of the scale for two reasons. Firstly the discovery of further battlefield archaeology in the form of a roundshot from the battle on the proposed development site is, the Trust would argue, of special interest in respect of the Government’s guidance (Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment) on assessing substantial harm to heritage assets, despite its limitations. The battlefield archaeology at Bosworth is already recognised in research excellence framework reporting as being of international importance and the new battlefield archaeology find raises the possibility of further important archaeology from the battle across the proposed development site being found. The proposed development also sits in the vicinity of the crest over which the Fenn Lane approaches the battlefield and it is almost certainly where the rebel army first saw the royal army’s deployment. This too is arguably a point of special interest on the battlefield and the development, if it goes ahead, would have a serious impact on this important feature.
Notwithstanding this, the Trust is alarmed at suggestions that because only a small part of the registered battlefield area will be affected (and therefore the damage would be less than substantial), it should be allowed to proceed. The Trust recognises the constraints imposed by current national planning guidance for heritage assessments, but would argue that battlefields represent a special case which has not been fully considered by this guidance; the whole battlefield constitutes a single heritage asset and should be treated as such.
Such marginal development risks in particular the incremental destruction of the battlefield at Bosworth. Agreement to this planning application is likely to generate others and, in the Trust's view, the Council will find these hard to reject given the precedent this case establishes, especially if such applications are small scale . In such circumstances the Council would have presided over the destruction of one of the most significant military heritage sites in England as Bosworth is, along with Hastings and Naseby, one of the most important battlefield sites in the country.
The Trust also questions whether the full economic impact of the development has correctly been assessed. The battlefield and associated Battlefield Centre bring economic benefit to Hinckley and the surrounding area. The negative impact of the development on battlefield tourism does not seem to have been fully factored into the public benefit assessment and the Trust urges that this should be undertaken in advance of any decision being made.
The Trust therefore objects strongly to this application and has asked the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Planning Committee to reject it.
Notes for editors
The battle of Bosworth was fought on 22 August 1485 and resulted in the defeat and death of King Richard III and the accession to the throne of Henry Tudor who ruled as King Henry VII. In 2009 the actual site of the battle was located in a HLF-funded project led by the Battlefields Trust. The battlefield is one of just 46 given registered status by Historic England (see https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000004 )
For further information.
- Contact name : Julian Humphrys
- Contact email : development.officer@battlefieldstrust.com
- Contact phone : 07930432444
Online lectures
1 December 2020
Read More
New planning proposals to threaten battlefields?
20 October 2020
Read More
Bosworth Book Offer
6 October 2020
Read More
Online lectures
29 August 2020
Read More
Possible Threat to Edgcote Battlefield
7 August 2020
Read More
Online Lectures
6 August 2020
Read More
Summer Reading
14 July 2020
Read More
Battlefields Trust You Tube
4 June 2020
Read More
Historical Association
29 April 2020
Read More
New video on the Battle of Langport
3 April 2020
Read More
Battlefields Trust Annual General Meeting
24 March 2020
Read More
Cancellation of 2020 Conference
24 March 2020
Read More
New video on the Battle of Cheriton
23 March 2020
Read More
Help preserve access to battlefields
26 February 2020
Read More
Trust Battlefields Panel
27 January 2020
Read More
New Trust film on the Battle of Carham
8 January 2020
Read More
2020 Conference and AGM
22 September 2019
Read More
Bosworth battlefield gov.uk petition
26 June 2019
Read More
Naseby Battlefield Project wins new funding
25 May 2019
Read More
Battle of Barnet 1471 - new video launched by the Barnet Battlefield Project
29 March 2019
Read More
Fornham St Genevieve 1173 - planning application may impact Suffolk's most important battlefield
24 March 2019
Read More
Battlefields Trust 2019 AGM and Conference
22 February 2019
Read More
Reported new threat to Barnet battlefield
16 January 2019
Read More
Bosworth - Battlefield Trust Letter to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Planning Committee Members
21 September 2018
Read More
Threat to Bosworth: update
3 September 2018
Read More
Threat to the Registered Battlefield of Bosworth
24 August 2018
Read More
Prayer Book Rebellion archaeological resource report published following a Freedom of Information request
6 July 2018
Read More
New Yorkshire Region Chair
1 January 2018
Read More
Battlefields Trust e-Journal published
14 December 2017
Read More
Historic England Acknowledges Battlefields Trust Support on Battlefields At Risk
28 October 2017
Read More
Robert Hardy CBE, 1925-2017
11 August 2017
Read More
Nantwich (1644) Battlefield Under Threat
3 July 2017
Read More
Threat to Winwick (1648) Battlefield
3 July 2017
Read More
Historic England Complete the Review of Towton (1461) Battlefield Registration
8 June 2017
Read More
New Battlefields Trust Education Resources
16 May 2017
Read More
Battle of Barnet Project Update
22 April 2017
Read More
Development Threat to Babylon Hill Battlefield
17 April 2017
Read More
Chalgrove Battlefield Update
17 April 2017
Read More
Newbury II Added to the Battlefields Trust Resource Centre
18 February 2017
Read More
Chalgrove Airfield Development
23 January 2017
Read More
Battlefields poetry book available for purchase online
2 November 2016
Read More
Battlefields Trust AGM and Conference 2017
10 October 2016
Read More
Trust publishes battlefield poetry book
4 October 2016
Read More
Tewkesbury Battlefield Society Campaign to Buy Battlefield
2 September 2016
Read More
Princeton 1777 Battlefield Under Threat
1 September 2016
Read More
New battle of Langport trail
3 August 2016
Read More
Chalgrove Battlefield Under Threat
29 July 2016
Read More
Five Minute Battlefields - Langport
2 April 2016
Read More
Five Minute Battlefields - Cheriton
27 March 2016
Read More
Battlefields and the Teaching of History
28 February 2016
Read More
2016 Annual Conference and AGM
14 February 2016
Read More
The Civil War on Teeside
30 November 2015
Read More
Burglary of Medals at Talana Museum
13 October 2015
Read More
Please help us oppose threat to Northampton Battlefield
19 August 2015
Read More
Battlefields Trust Chair Stands Down
9 June 2015
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
25 May 2015
Read More
New Articles
25 May 2015
Read More
2015 AGM and Conference Documents
22 April 2015
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
8 April 2015
Read More
Northampton Battlefield Update
26 February 2015
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
13 February 2015
Read More
Oldest surviving Cannonball in England helps confirm the site of the 1460 Battle of Northampton
12 February 2015
Read More
Threat to Northampton Battlefield
23 January 2015
Read More
Planning application at Norton St Philip rejected
23 January 2015
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
12 January 2015
Read More
Member's Benefits Updated
6 January 2015
Read More
Battlefields Trust Annual Conference and AGM
6 January 2015
Read More
New Articles
30 December 2014
Read More
Battle of Tewkesbury - Arrivall Videos
30 December 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
8 December 2014
Read More
Battlefields Trust Magazine
3 November 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
2 November 2014
Read More
Battle of Lostwithiel 1644
31 October 2014
Read More
Nibley Green (1470) Update
17 October 2014
Read More
Threat to the Battlefield of Towton (1461)
22 September 2014
Read More
Nibley Green (1470) Update
20 September 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
12 September 2014
Read More
Finding Fulford 1066
4 September 2014
Read More
Update on Prestonpans (1745) Threat
3 September 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
25 August 2014
Read More
Trip to Normandy 2015
28 July 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
22 July 2014
Read More
Nibley Green (1470) Battlefield Under Threat
28 June 2014
Read More
Winceby (1643) Battlefield Solar Array Decision
28 June 2014
Read More
Subscriptions: New rates from October
18 May 2014
Read More
Development Threat to Winceby Battlefield
13 May 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
9 May 2014
Read More
The Gastons - Battle of Tewkesbury
9 May 2014
Read More
North East and Borders Regional News
29 April 2014
Read More
Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre
14 April 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
24 March 2014
Read More
2014 Conference Programme
18 March 2014
Read More
Culloden Battlefield - Public Demonstrations
23 February 2014
Read More
Heritage Open Days
23 February 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
17 February 2014
Read More
Battlefield Trust Journal
7 February 2014
Read More
Proposed housing development at Culloden
29 January 2014
Read More
Battlefields Trust 2014 Conference Booking Form
29 January 2014
Read More
New Articles
24 January 2014
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
24 January 2014
Read More
Opportunity to buy part of the battlefield of Tewkesbury
12 January 2014
Read More
Threat to Towton Battlefield
5 January 2014
Read More
Lunchtime talks at the Tower of London
18 December 2013
Read More
Wessex Region Newsletter
12 December 2013
Read More
The Civil War in the North East
7 December 2013
Read More
Sedgemoor wind turbine application withdrawn
28 November 2013
Read More
North East and Scottish Borders Newsletter
18 November 2013
Read More
Threat to setting of Battlefield of Sedgemoor
25 October 2013
Read More
Historical fiction talk rescheduled
21 October 2013
Read More
Members Articles
20 October 2013
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
20 October 2013
Read More
English Heritage register battlefield of Edgcote
7 October 2013
Read More
Threat to Langport (1645)
23 August 2013
Read More
Threat to Bramham Moor (1408) Battlefield
22 August 2013
Read More
Threat to Bothwell Bridge (1679) Battlefield
22 August 2013
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
15 August 2013
Read More
Leading Battlefield Walks
31 July 2013
Read More
Battlefields/Projects Update June 2013
2 July 2013
Read More
Simon de Montfort 2014 Newsletter
1 July 2013
Read More
York Council gives go-ahead for homes to be built on most likely site of the Battle of Fulford
26 April 2013
Read More
New Wind Turbine Threat to the Naseby Battlefield
10 April 2013
Read More
Bicentennial of the War of 1812
21 March 2013
Read More
The First Blitz Project
6 March 2013
Read More
News from Tewkesbury
5 March 2013
Read More
News from Northampton
9 February 2013
Read More
Richard III - What next?
6 February 2013
Read More
Battle of Hastings
14 January 2013
Read More
Battlefields Trust Magazine
20 December 2012
Read More
Battlefields Trust Job Adverts
25 November 2012
Read More
The threat to Towton battlefield
21 November 2012
Read More
Battlefields Trust on threat to Towton battlefield
16 November 2012
Read More
Battlefields Trust on threat to Northampton battlefield - Delapre Golf Complex Planning Application
14 November 2012
Read More
Civil War Grave Found in Northamptonshire Village
4 November 2012
Read More
Battle of Barnet 1471 Article
4 November 2012
Read More
English Heritage on the threat to Northampton Battlefield
16 October 2012
Read More
Battlefields Trust on threat to Northampton battlefield
16 October 2012
Read More
Report of the Finding of Richard III’s Grave
11 October 2012
Read More
Magazine Back issues
5 September 2012
Read More
London Lunchtime talks programme, Autumn 2012
4 September 2012
Read More
Expansion of Flodden 1513 Ecomuseum
1 May 2012
Read More
New lunchtime lecture series
13 April 2012
Read More
Heritage Tourism and the 2012 Olympics
2 April 2012
Read More
HS2 in 1862
17 January 2012
Read More
HS2 and the battlefield of Edgcote
13 January 2012
Read More
Statement on metal detecting
9 January 2012
Read More
Finding Bosworth
4 November 2009
Read More