The area chosen by the Lancastrian command was, as has been said, atop a 100 foot high plateaux between the villages of Towton to the north, and Saxton to the south. To the west is the Cock river, or beck, or stream; and taking weather conditions into account the water-cause was either frozen or in spate. The latter seems more likely considering what was to come. The plateaux dipped quite steeply to the Cock Beck valley, the slopes were wooded, and as the beck meandered first west, then east and then west again, it formed a reverse form of a letter 'S'. A gully or shallow ravine cut laterally into the plateaux from the bank of the Cock Beck, which could have affected the wind's direction for brief periods. The eastern flank was formed by the road between Pontefract and Tadcaster, which crossed the Aire at Ferrybridge, then ran almost due north through South Milford and Sherburn in Elmet. The current A162 would seem to follow the ancient route almost exactly. The numbers of men involved were very large, most if not all chroniclers agree, but precise numbers are less certain. Brooke mentions 60,000 on the Lancastrian side, and a very precise 48,660 on the Yorkist. They appear to be exceedingly high estimates, but considering subsequent events, they must be reasonably accurate. What seems to be agreed upon is that Edward was slightly outnumbered, and with a lack of senior commanders, possibly hampered by a lack of command experience. Also, at the onset of the conflict, Norfolk's troops had not yet arrived, but when they did, the timing was nothing short of impeccable.

From this point, as people expect to be provided with a narrative of events during the battle, I have selected to quote directly from Hall's Chronicle. This was the main source for writers such as William Shakespeare many others. While some of it might be fanciful, some will have been handed down by family tradition and correspondence. It is I feel the best way of providing a description of events, as Hall wrote it in the 1540's for publication in 1550, a mere ninety years later. It has been necessary to modernise some of the spellings to make the text more understandable, but the syntax has been left unaltered.

"When this conflict was ended at Ferrybridge the Lord Fauconberg having the forward, because the Duke of Norfolk was fallen sick, valiantly upon Palm Sunday, in the twilight set forth his army, and came to Saxton, where he might apparently perceive the host of his adversaries, which were accounted 40,000 men and thereof advertised King Edward whose whole army, they that knew it, and paid the wages, affirm to 48,709 persons, which incotinet (sic) with the Earl of Warwick set forward, leaving the rearward under the governance of Sir John Wenlock and Sir John Dynham and other. And first of all he made proclamation that no prisoner should be take, not one enemy saved. So the same day about 9 of the clock, which was the 29th March, being Palm Sunday, both the hosts approached in a plain field between Towton and Saxton. When each party perceived the other, they made a great shout, and at the same instant time there fell a small snyt* or snow, which by the violence of the wind, was driven into the faces of them, which were of King Henry's party so that their fight was somewhat blemished and (de)minished. The Lord Fauconberg which led the forward of King Edward's battle (battalion) being a man of great policy and of much experience in martial feats, called every archer under his standard, to shoot one flight (which before he caused them to provide) and then made them to stand still."
* snyt: a spit or sprinkling of rain; arch. Eng. OED.
It is necessary to intervene here to try to explain how such a meteorological phenomenon might occur. As most Britons will be aware, snow generally falls with either a northerly or an easterly wind; Hall here seems to be suggesting a violent wind from the south, and with either rain or snow. Consultation with the Meteorological Office has provided some insight. A query in this regard solicited the following response "A general synoptic situation which may have led to these condition would be as follows. High pressure would have been centred to the North of Scotland, Scandinavia, and north Atlantic creating a feed of very cold air from the north. A low-pressure system crossing Central Wales, the Midlands and South Yorks. would generally produce southerly to south-easterly winds across its eastern flank." It was also suggested that local terrain combined (that gully on the western side of the plateaux for example) with Katabatic effects could have produced a brief gusting effect similar to those described provided they occurred early enough in the morning. They concluded, "I cannot comment on whether it was snowing or not that day but the synoptic situation noted above would probably lead to precipitation, most likely snow in the temperatures suggested."

Returning to Hall's Chronicle: "The Northern men feeling(?) the shoot, but by reason of the snow, not well viewing the distance between them and their enemies, like hardy(?) men, shot their sheaves (of) arrows as fast as they might, but all their shot was lost and their labour (in)vain for they came not near the Southern men by 40 tailor's yards. When their shot was almost spent, the Lord Fauconberg marched forward with his archers, which not only shot their own sheaves, but also gathered the arrows of their enemies, and let a great part of them fly against their own masters, and another part of then set stand on the ground which sore (an)noyed (sic) the legs of their owners, when the battle joined, the earl of Northumberland, and Andrew Trollop which were the captains of king Henry's vanguard, seeing their shot not to prevail, hasted forward to join with their enemies you may be sure the other part nothing retarded, but valiantly fought with their enemies. This battle was sore fought, for the hope of life was set on side on every part and taking of prisoners was proclaimed as a great offence, by reason whereof every man determined, either to conquer or to die in the field. This deadly battle and bloody conflict, continued for 10 hours in doubtful victory. The one part some time flowing, and some times ebbing, but in conclusion, king Edward so courageously comforted his men, refreshing the weary, and helping the wounded, that the other part was discomforted and overcome, and like men amazed, fled towards Tadcaster bridge to save them selves:"