HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 331 



Audley's army, where he feigned an attempt to guard the pass ; 

 for such the road between the Byrth and Little Byrth may be 

 called. As there is no mention made of arty skirmish taking place 

 there, we may suppose that he manifested his intentions of guard- 

 ing the pass, and of preventing an attack by fortifying his situa- 

 tion. Vestiges of a fortification are to be seen on the summit of 

 the Byrth-hill. I may here notice, that on the Camp-hill are two 

 mounds, once thought to have been tumuii ; but, when opened, they 

 contained nothing to support that opinion : and they were proba- 

 bly raised merely for stations of observation. Now, as there 

 exists no tradition of any arms having been found, or sepulchral 

 remains discovered, I conclude, that it is riot improbable that the 

 two above-named Generals were posted as already observed ; and 

 when the Earl abandoned his position, and ' feigned a fear/ we 

 may suppose that he would retreat a few miles, say five or six, which 

 is about the distance from the Byrth-hill to where the battle was 

 decided." 



The ancient wooden cross put up to mark the spot where Lord 

 Audley fell having been thrown down by a cow rubbing against it, 

 a stone pedestal was erected in 1765, by the Lord of the Manor, 

 with the cross upon it. On the north side of the pedestal is th 

 following inscription : 



ON THIS SPOT 



WAS FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF 



BLORE HEATH, 



IN 1459- 



LORD AUDLEY, 



WHO COMMANDED FOR THE SfDE OF LANCASTER, 

 WAS DEFEATED AND SLAIN. 



TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY 



OF THE ACTION AND THE PLACE, 



THIS ANCIENT MONUMENT 



WAS REPAIRED IN 



1765, 



AT THE CHARGE OF THE LORD OF THE MANOR, 

 CHARLES BOOTHBY SCRYMSHER. 



The stone is now to be seen in an inclosed field adjoining the 

 public road from Drayton to Newcastle-under-Lyme, about two 

 miles distant from the former town. It is a plain cross about 4$ 

 feet high, 10 inches broad, and 8 inches thick ; the transverse 



