There are many aspects to the study of the history of warfare, but it was in battle that armies and commanders found their ultimate challenge.

There are more than 500 historic battlefields and other fields of conflict in England, ranging in date from before the Roman Conquest (AD43) through to the skirmishes associated with the Jacobite risings of the 18th century. The Battlefields Trust is developing a UK Fields of Conflict database which provides a basic record of these sites. During the winter of 2004-5, in collaboration with Historic Scotland, this database was enchanced with over 350 sites in Scotland. A project is now underway, running from 2006-2008, in conjunction with Leeds University and English Heritage, to enhance the data on English battlefields. For more information follow the English Battlefields link on the left hand side of this page.

Detailed information on more than forty of the most important, well preserved and most accurately located of the English battles was added to the website in 2004-2005 with HLF funding. A selection of battlefields in Scotland are being added in 2005 as part of the project with Historic Scotland.

The map of battlefields in England, available from the download area on the left of the screen, places the well located battlefields against the background of a national relief map. It also distinguishes those battles which are featured on this website. The main source from which it has been compiled is:

• Rayner, Michael. English Battlefields. Stroud: Tempus, 2004.