Crécy Battlefield

Maintenay - 13th century Church 
of St. Nicholas

There have been many unknowns on this trip, particularly how much time would be needed to drive the route and visit the sights, especially traveling backroads.  My goal was to get a feel for the topography the army would have marched through and visit that which might remain from the time period. We had to 'adjust' along the way in order to arrive in Crécy when the museum was open and during daylight hours.

In the village of Maintenay, we viewed a medieval church in very sad condition. We located a pub (open on Sunday) and the owner was delighted to practice his English.  He offered a cold soft drink and a warm smile, both welcome after our long drive.

This Frenchman welcomed us with a kiss!

Visiting the Crécy battlefield was a high prioity for me for on August 26, 1346, the Black Prince, just sixteen led the army's vanguard and earned his spurs. The English had been on the march since early July; they were now exhausted and short of supplies.  The French, finally aroused, were on their tail. Edward located a highly defensible position and awaited King Philippe and his noble French knights.  It was late in the afternoon and the French had marched all day but, were eager for glory, they took to the field believing their numbers would win the day.

At the conference, I had heard I might be disappointed at Crécy, in particular that the museum was small.

So, I wasn't too disappointed to discover that in spite of all my double-checking, the museum was closed for the season. No matter; I was at Crécy!

We drove on up the hill about a quarter-mile out of town.
There's a small, easy-to-miss parking area across the road from a circular viewing tower where (supposedly) the windmill from which King Edward watched the battle stood.  Atop the tower was a panoramic display board detailing the English and French positions. We could look out across the cultivated fields and try to imagine thousands of men arrayed on the hillside.

I must admit, the land did not seem nearly as steep as what we had driven through earlier and I wondered why, considering all the places from which to choose, Edward chose this particular site.  To my untrained eyes, it didn't look all that different, or all that more commanding, than other locations.

There is a controversy whether this is the actual battle site as another has been proposed, similar to the situation with Bosworth battlfield today.

To visit this battlefield in person was truly special for me, particularly given all the research I've done on this battle alone.  I have waited to write the actual battle chapter until after this visit but I have written one scene. Prince Edward is sprawled on the ground, tired and sweaty, leaning back against the blue boards of the windmill.  He's waiting with his seasoned commanders for the French to arrive and the blue of the boards is reminiscient of the color of his mother's gown when he received his first real lesson in duty.  He had just celebrated his fifth birthday.  The duty before him is daunting but honor demands him to lead nonetheless. As I view Edward, it was no whim that he chose "Ich Dien" as his motto.  "I Serve" was truly how he led his life, that which gave it meaning. 

Looking down slope from English position.

The French approached from below the trees on the right, marching up the Vallee des Clerks. There's no road to get that area and we drove in circles for awhile trying to figure it out. We finally located the area using the directions and GPS coordinates provided by Peter Hoskins in his guidebook. Thank heavens my cell phone compass and hooray for technology!

French Approach 
 Vallee des Clerks

The photo to the left shows a waterlogged track up  a rise which is the Vallee des Clerks. The French would have marched up this track (?) between the berm on the right and the wood on the left.  At the end of the wood, they would have turned left and headed up the slope toward the English position. The French would have been hampered by the berm on the right so they were forced into a narrow area.  

How similar this is to what existed then is difficult to know but walking this track made the battle come alive for me.  When I exited the other end of the trees, I could imagine the English arrayed on the top of the hillside opening up in front of me, still a distance away but a steeper climb than it appears from above. 

The first wave of Genoese crossbowman approached and the English longbowmen let loose flight after flight of arrows before the Genoese could come within range of their own bows. The arrows were so thick, the Genoese turned back and were trampled by their own French cavalry. The archers,  on the flanks, shot at the knights' horses bringing them down and creating total havoc. They switched to armor-piercing bodkins as the range closed.  The piles of dead and wounded were so high, those coming in the following waves had to climb over the top.  Some chroniclers believe there were as many as fifteen waves of attack. 

Hand to hand combat was fierce and from all accounts, at one point, the prince went down. His standard bearer and men rallied around him until he regained his footing.  He may have been concussed; we'll never know for sure.  But as dusk settled, King Philippe was convinced to withdraw. The victory decimated the ranks of the French nobility and left the reign of Philippe in shambles. 
There is no doubt that Edward III's strategic use of artillery, aka longbow arrors, changed the face of warfare. No longer were mounted knights and lances to win the day.  The lowly archer, much less expensive to employ, was now England's vaunted battle hero. Edward's defensive position, team of battle-seasoned commanders, and strategic use of archers proved that strength of numbers alone did not dictate victory in battle. 

John of Bohemia Cross 

King John of Bohemia, a blind knight, died during this engagement. He and his entourage roped themselves together and rode into the fray.  His bravery is commemorated by a monument along the Vallee des Clerks route. It is said that in honor of King John's bravery, Edward adopted his ostrich feather and created his personal badge using this symbol.  

Black Prince's Badge
Used by every Prince of Wales since then.