Towton

Towton is a small village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Selby, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

1. History

In 2010 and 2011 a pair of gold torcs dating to the Iron Age were discovered by metal detectorists. The 'Towton torcs' were acquired by the Yorkshire Museum in 2013. The name Towton derives from the Old Norse personal name Tofi and the Old English tūn, meaning 'settlement'. The village is best known for the Battle of Towton, fought on Palm Sunday, 29 March 1461, during the Wars of the Roses. It was at this battle that Sir David Ap Mathew saved the life of Edward IV. Once King, Edward granted Sir David Ap Mathew permission to use 'Towton' on the Mathew family crest. The battle has been described as "probably the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil."

1. References