Yorkshire – West Riding Day is on the 29th March – the anniversary of the Battle of Towton

located in the West Riding. The day was selected by a public vote.

The battle occurred on March 29th 1461 and ended with an overwhelming victory for the House of York, bringing Edward IV

to the throne in place of Henry VI

and described by historian Christopher Gravett as “probably the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil”. It is estimated that more than 50,000 soldiers fought for hours in a snowstorm, leaving some 28,000 dead on the battlefield.