The Battle of Towton in 1461 has long held the distinction of being the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil. A decisive moment in the Wars of the Roses, it saw the Yorkist Edward IV defeat his Lancastrian rival Henry VI and claim the English throne. But what made this so battle so uniquely brutal? We analyse real medieval skeletons found in a mass grave on the battlefield, all exhibiting evidence of horrendous injuries suffered at Towton.

In the second episode of this two-part series, medieval historian Matt Lewis gets a taste of what the battle was like for an ordinary soldier. With the help of leading experts from Bradford University, he pairs the terrifying wounds on the Towton skeletons with the weapons that likely caused them. He learns about the damage that could be done with a medieval sword, warhammer, poleaxe and mace, all commonly used in the Wars of the Roses.

Don’t forget to check out the first episode, where he joined Chris Berendt, Chairman of the Towton Battlefield Society, to walk the site of the battle and learn about the key tactical decisions that swung the result. We use animated maps of the battlefield to show you exactly how the fighting unfolded.