Monarchy

Battle of Crécy

Edward III and about 10,000 men landed in Normandy in July 1346, with the French in pursuit. Crossing the Somme, on 16 August the king decided to halt at Crécy, near Abbeville in Normandy, and prepare for battle the next day.

However, when the French vanguard made contact, they started to attack without benefit of a plan. They made as many as 15 assaults against the English, but although greatly outnumbered, the latter checked each one, mainly due to the efforts of the longbowmen. The French suffered great losses and eventually lost the battle.

Edward immediately capitalised on this by besieging Calais, which fell in 1347. The victory at Crécy, one of the major battles of the Hundred Years War, also restored his reputation at home.

An account of the battle of Crécy 1346
www.chronique.com/Library/Knights/crecy.htm
A contemporary version of the battle from the Chronicles of Jean Froissart.

Weapons that Made Britain: Longbow
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/we
apons/longbow2.html
An account of Edward III's great triumph at the battle of Crécy and the role of the longbow in it.

	Crécy 1346: Triumph of the Longbow by David Nicolle (Osprey, 2000) Crécy was the first major battle of the Hundred Years War. The English army triumphed despite being outnumbered, and established the reputation of the longbow as a fearsome weapon. This book details the events of the campaign with notes on the battlefield as it is today. Get this book
	The Crécy War by Alfred H Burne (Wordsworth Military Library, 1999) Perennially popular historical account covering every battle and major skirmish between England and France during the Hundred Years War. Get this book

Crécy
In Pays-du-Nord in France: about 70 kilometres south of Calais and 15 kilometres north-east of Abbeville
Today the site comprises fields of grain and vegetables, although there is an observation tower. You can also visit the site at Blanchtaque where Edward and his army forded the Somme prior to the battle.

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