Mottram in Longdendale

It was in the grey dawning of an autumn day when the two armies met.

The battle was fought on a hill in the Mottram township where the ancient church of Mottram now stands.

But there was no sacred building there on that grey morning of long ago when the clashing of arms awoke the echoes and the air was heavy with the shrieks of dying men.

THE ARMY OF MATILDA WAS POSTED ON THE HILL.

WHO AM I THAT I SHOULD COMPLAIN? ROYAL LADY AND LOWLY-BORN FORESTER GAZED INTO EACH OTHER'S EYES FOR A BRIEF SPACE, THEIR LOOKS CONVEYING THOUGHTS WHICH WERE TOO SACRED FOR WORDS, AND THEN THE QUEEN'S TRAIN MOVED DOWN THE HILL AND THE OLD MAN WAS LEFT ALONE, ALONE WITH HIS SORROW AND HIS DEAD.

the world is full of changes and ever on the hills of war comes the angel form of peace men called the hill whereon the battle had been fought war hill and in after days the builders raised the sacred pile of mottram church where the soldiers of matilda and stephen fought and died Author's note.

According to an old Londondale tradition, the War Hill Mottram is the site of a battle which was fought in the 12th century between the forces of the Princess Matilda and King Stephen.

End of section four.