The second Battle of Northampton took place in July 1460 in the grounds of Delapre Abbey. The royal army had set up camp in a meadow between Hardingstone village and Delapre Abbey. They dug deep ditches and built a palisade wall of sharp stakes around their camp and blocked the London Road with cannon. Despite this they were not in the best defensive position: the River Nene had flooded after heavy rain and was not easy to cross if they needed to escape. But they thought they would win!

The Earl of Warwick was in charge of the Yorkist army. He gave orders to kill Lancastrian nobles but not to kill 'ordinary men' or the King, especially the men of Lord Grey de Ruthin (a Lancastrian Lord who switched to the Yorkist side during the battle). The battle was short (it was over in half an hour); it was a resounding Yorkist victory. The Archbishop of Canterbury stood by the Queen Eleanor cross and watched the fighting. The marshy conditions of the Nene made fighting difficult and many Lancastrians died trying to flee across the river after the battle. In all 300 Lancastrians died, including many lords who died trying to protect the King. After this battle Henry was captured by Henry Mountfort, a Yorkist archer. Directly after the battle Edward, Earl of Marsh (the future King Edward IV) knelt and paid homage to Henry VI. The Yorkist nobles told Henry they only wanted a 'stable and just government'. However a few months later Edward's father Richard of York made a formal claim for the throne. York was persuaded to wait until after Henry died, but was killed in another battle soon afterwards leaving Edward, Earl of March as the chief Yorkist claimant.

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