Archaeologists uncover skeleton at site of one of Britain's bloodiest battles

A skeleton believed to date from one of England's bloodiest military engagements has been unearthed at a North Yorkshire manor house.

The skeleton was discovered at Towton Hall, located near Tadcaster, during operations to remove a tree close to the 18th-century property.

Archaeologists believe the bones are connected to the Battle of Towton, a pivotal clash in the War of the Roses that took place in 1461.

Tim Sutherland, who leads the Towton Battlefield Archaeology Project, confirmed the remains will be exhumed at a later date.

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"It's very rare that you can find an archaeological event from such a closely dated part of history," he said.

The battle on March 29, 1461, saw the forces of Henry VI, representing the House of Lancaster, face those of Edward IV from the House of York.

This latest find is not the first at the location, with the Towton Battlefield Archaeology Project having uncovered several skeletons at the hall over three decades.

"In July 1996, the builders were knocking an old part of Towton Hall down, the more modern part, when they were building an extension," Mr Sutherland explained.

During foundation work for that extension, workers encountered human remains, prompting the team to return in September 1996.

After removing the topsoil, a mass grave became clearly visible, which researchers have since attributed to the battle.

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Mr Sutherland described how the discovery unfolded last Wednesday afternoon, when investigators noticed soil that differed from the surrounding earth.

"On Wednesday afternoon, we'd thought we found a location of a grave because the soil was different to the surrounding soil and we investigated down a little bit and found a human femur," he said.

Historical accounts of the battle's death toll vary considerably, though estimates suggest a minimum of 10,000 people perished in the fighting.

Mr Sutherland emphasised the challenges of piecing together what truly occurred during the medieval conflict.

"We're trying to pull out the truth in a minefield of fiction to know what actually happened or get somewhere nearer the truth," he added.

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