Events

Battlefields Trust Online Talk: A Hard and Grievous Battle; the Siege of Haughley Castle and the Battle of Fornham in 1173

Thursday 30th October 2025

The talk 'A Hard and Grievous Battle; the Siege of Haughley Castle and the Battle of Fornham in 1173' is an exciting, illustrated lecture bringing to life little-known but crucial events in Suffolk, of 850 years ago. It is packed with dramatic incidents, and populated with extraordinary people - Ranulph de Broc, the man behind the murder of Thomas Becket; Robert 'Whitehands' the Earl of Leicester, a powerful Baron and a leader in the Great Revolt against Henry II, swearing obscenities at the King before the Council; Petronella, Leicester's wife, an Amazon dressed in full armour; Hugh Bigod, the self-styled 'Earl of East Anglia'; and the incorruptible body and vengeful spirit of Saint Edmund himself. The talk covers in particular the invasion of Suffolk by Leicester and his army of Flemish mercenaries, his campaign across Suffolk, the successful siege and fall of of Haughley Castle, the role of Bury St Edmunds and of Saint Edmund's body and banner, and the events of the Battle of Fornham. It is the first study in detail of this battle, which has previously been overlooked, and restores it to prominence as a turning point in Henry's eventual victory in the Great Revolt.

Dr Mike Walker read History at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, where he also took his PhD. He has taught in Universities and schools, lecturing in the United States, becoming Headmaster of King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, and then of Felsted School (an independent co-educational boarding school) in Essex, and lecturing at the Judge Business School, Cambridge University, where he also held a Visiting Fellowship at Fitzwilliam College. He led a National Heads Group of outstanding Heads as a think tank for the Department for Education, and was a member of the World Board and the European Regional Director for the international schools organisation the Round Square. Since retirement to Suffolk he has written a history of events in Suffolk in 1173, and has been a regular contributor of items on a wide range of Suffolk history topics to BBC Radio Suffolk. He is a very experienced speaker who receives excellent reviews, and is passionate about history and making the past accessible to all!