The Winter Campaign in Northern Brittany and…

The Winter Campaign in Northern Brittany and the Battle of Saint-Pol-de-Léon (1346)

During the winter of 1345–1346, William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton, conducted a long and difficult campaign in northern Brittany. His likely objective was to secure a harbor on the north side of the peninsula, possibly to serve as a landing point for Edward III’s main invasion force in the summer of 1346.

However, the English achieved little despite their efforts, as northern Brittany was the home region of Joan of Penthièvre, wife of Charles of Blois, and resistance from the local nobility and populace was particularly strong.

Change of Strategy: Edward III Chooses Normandy Instead

• Given the stalemate in northern Brittany, Edward III abandoned the idea of landing there.
• Instead, he chose Normandy as the staging ground for his 1346 invasion, launching the famous Crécy campaign.
• Northampton was recalled, and Thomas Dagworth was appointed as deputy lieutenant of Brittany, charged with maintaining English interests in the region.

The Battle of Saint-Pol-de-Léon (June 9, 1346)

• During a routine tour of English strongholds, Dagworth and his escort were ambushed near Saint-Pol-de-Léon by Charles of Blois and a French-Breton force.
• Dagworth’s men were nearly surrounded, but their longbowmen held their ground.
• Taking a defensive position on a hill, the English forces dug in and repelled repeated French attacks throughout the day.
• By nightfall, Charles of Blois was forced to retreat, leaving behind many wounded soldiers.

Impact and Consequences

• The Battle of Saint-Pol-de-Léon demonstrated once again the effectiveness of English longbowmen, even in outnumbered defensive engagements.
• Though Brittany remained contested, Dagworth’s victory helped stabilize English holdings in the region.
• Charles of Blois’ continued failures to decisively defeat the English-backed Montfortists weakened his position, keeping Brittany a key battleground in the ongoing conflict.

While Edward III shifted his focus to Normandy, the English position in Brittany remained intact, thanks to the success of Thomas Dagworth at Saint-Pol-de-Léon, ensuring that the Breton War of Succession would remain intertwined with the Hundred Years’ War.