Battle of Pontvallain (1370): How France Crushed the English

The Battle of Pontvallain, fought on 4 December 1370, rarely receives the same attention as Crécy, Poitiers or Agincourt. That is a pity, because Pontvallain marked one of the most important turning points of the Hundred Years’ War. Here, the French finally proved that they had learned from earlier disasters. Instead of obligingly riding into a hail of English arrows or allowing themselves to be dragged into another ruinous pitched battle, they struck quickly, unexpectedly and with a refreshing lack of concern for English notions of fair play.

The result was a sharp French victory under Bertrand du Guesclin against the English forces of Sir Robert Knolles. It ended one of England’s last great chevauchées of the period and helped begin the steady French recovery under King Charles V.

Where and When Was the Battle of Pontvallain?

Pontvallain lies in modern Sarthe, in north-western France, south of Le Mans. In late 1370 the region became the stage for an English raid led by Robert Knolles. His army had marched through northern France in the traditional English style, burning villages, plundering the countryside and hoping to provoke the French into another grand battle.

By December, however, the English force had become stretched out and divided. Knolles and his captains were arguing, which in medieval armies was about as reliable as rain in Yorkshire. Several detachments had separated from the main body, leaving them dangerously exposed.

The French seized their chance.

Background to the Battle

After the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, England held vast territories in France. Yet by the late 1360s the political situation had changed dramatically. King Charles V of France, often overshadowed by his more theatrical predecessors, proved to be a patient and intelligent ruler.

Rather than throwing French armies into disaster, Charles relied on attrition, local resistance and experienced commanders. Chief among them was Bertrand du Guesclin, the Breton knight whose appearance was apparently so unimpressive that chroniclers often felt obliged to mention it. Fortunately for France, his military skill was considerably better than his portrait.

In 1370, King Edward III sent Sir Robert Knolles into France with a large mounted force. Knolles was a seasoned commander, famous for hard campaigning and harder manners. Yet his expedition quickly ran into problems:

French forces avoided battle
Supplies became scarce
The English army dispersed across a wide area
Rivalries developed between Knolles and his sub-commanders

The French watched carefully, then struck when the English were weakest.

Forces

English Army

The English force probably numbered between 4,000 and 6,000 men at the start of the campaign, though far fewer were present at Pontvallain itself.

By the time of the battle, the army had split into several groups. The contingent caught at Pontvallain was led largely by Sir Thomas Grandison, Sir Hugh Calveley and other captains, with perhaps 1,200 to 2,000 men.

English Leaders	Role
Sir Robert Knolles	Overall commander of the campaign
Sir Thomas Grandison	Commander of one of the separated divisions
Sir Hugh Calveley	Veteran captain and mercenary leader
Walter Fitzwalter	English noble and field commander

French Army

The French force under Bertrand du Guesclin probably numbered around 3,000 to 4,000 men, including men-at-arms, cavalry and local troops.

French Leaders	Role
Bertrand du Guesclin	Constable of France and overall commander
Olivier de Clisson	Breton commander
Louis II, Duke of Bourbon	Senior French noble
Marshal Arnoul d’Audrehem	Experienced French marshal

Troop Composition

Army	Men-at-Arms	Archers/Crossbowmen	Cavalry	Other Troops
English	Heavy men-at-arms, mounted knights	Longbowmen	Mounted retainers	Mercenaries and camp followers
French	Knights and men-at-arms	Crossbowmen and infantry	Fast cavalry	Breton and local levies

The French held a crucial advantage in mobility and coordination. The English, scattered across the countryside, resembled less an army and more a collection of unhappy armed tourists.

Battle Timeline

Early November 1370

Robert Knolles enters northern France with an English raiding army
French forces shadow the advance but refuse battle
The English devastate large areas of the countryside

Mid-November 1370

Disputes emerge among English commanders
The English army splits into separate columns
Bertrand du Guesclin gathers French forces near Tours and Le Mans

3 December 1370

French scouts discover the isolated English detachments near Pontvallain
Du Guesclin marches rapidly to attack before the English can reunite

4 December 1370: The Battle

French cavalry and men-at-arms launch a surprise attack on the English camp
Many English soldiers are caught unprepared
Some are still attempting to form battle lines while others are searching for horses, armour or perhaps a very late breakfast
French troops overwhelm the English positions at Pontvallain
Survivors retreat north towards Vaas and other nearby villages

Aftermath

The French pursue the fleeing English for several days
Several smaller actions follow around Vaas and Mayet
Robert Knolles eventually abandons the campaign and withdraws

How the Battle Was Fought

Pontvallain was not a formal set-piece battle in the style of Crécy or Poitiers. There were no carefully prepared defensive lines or grand speeches about honour. Instead, the French relied on speed, surprise and aggressive pursuit.

Du Guesclin attacked the English while they were divided and off guard. The French cavalry moved quickly through the wooded countryside and fell upon isolated groups before they could unite.

The English longbowmen, usually the great strength of English armies, had little chance to establish their usual positions. There was no time to drive stakes into the ground or prepare a proper defensive formation. English men-at-arms fought stubbornly, but they were overwhelmed piecemeal.

This was precisely the sort of battle Charles V wanted. He had no interest in allowing the English another glorious victory sung by chroniclers. He preferred a practical result. Medieval chroniclers, one suspects, found this rather unsporting.

Arms and Armour

The soldiers at Pontvallain fought in the transitional style of the late fourteenth century, when armour was becoming heavier and more sophisticated, yet still retained elements of earlier mail.

English Arms and Armour

English men-at-arms typically wore:

Mail hauberk or shirt beneath plate defences
Breastplate or coat-of-plates
Steel bascinet with mail aventail
Plate protection for arms and legs
Surcoat displaying heraldic colours

Common English weapons included:

Longbow
Lance
Mace
War hammer
Dagger

Specific sword types likely used by English men-at-arms included:

Oakeshott Type XV arming sword, suited for thrusting against plate armour
Oakeshott Type XVI longsword, offering both cutting and thrusting ability
Falchion, often favoured by soldiers and mercenaries for brutal close fighting

French Arms and Armour

French men-at-arms were similarly equipped, though some Breton and French knights were slightly more heavily armoured.

French equipment commonly included:

Bascinet with visor
Coat-of-plates or early breastplate
Full mail chausses or partial plate leg protection
Heavy cavalry lance
Crossbow for supporting infantry

French sword types probably included:

Oakeshott Type XVa longsword, ideal for mounted and armoured combat
Oakeshott Type XVIII sword, increasingly popular among knights in the later fourteenth century
Estoc, a narrow thrusting sword designed specifically to pierce armour gaps

The estoc in particular was becoming more common by this period. It was not an elegant weapon in the romantic sense. It was essentially a long, determined metal spike intended to persuade an opponent that armour was only a temporary inconvenience.

Contemporary Quotes

The battle impressed contemporaries because it showed that the English could be beaten.

The chronicler Jean Froissart wrote of the French attack:

“The French came upon them suddenly, and there was great slaughter.”

Froissart also noted the disorder among the English:

“They were not all together, but scattered abroad in small companies.”

A later French chronicler described du Guesclin’s conduct in admiring terms:

“He knew better than any man how to find his enemy at his weakest moment.”

That may not sound especially chivalrous, but it was undeniably effective.

Archaeology and the Battlefield Today

The exact site of the Battle of Pontvallain remains uncertain. Like many medieval battles, Pontvallain left surprisingly little clear archaeological evidence. The fighting took place across a wide area rather than on one neatly defined field.

Archaeologists and local historians have identified possible locations around Pontvallain, Vaas and the surrounding countryside. Finds from the region have included:

Medieval horseshoes
Arrowheads and crossbow bolts
Fragments of armour and weapon fittings
Pottery and camp remains associated with military occupation

None of these finds can be tied beyond doubt to the battle itself, which is one of the perpetual frustrations of medieval archaeology. Historians are left piecing together evidence from chronicles, landscape features and the occasional rusted object dug up by an unusually enthusiastic farmer.

The terrain around Pontvallain still helps explain the battle. The countryside is broken by woods, streams and narrow roads, ideal for ambushes and rapid cavalry movement. Looking at the landscape today, it becomes rather obvious why the French chose to strike there.

Why Pontvallain is important in the the larger War.

The importance of Pontvallain goes far beyond the numbers killed or captured.

The battle:

Ended Robert Knolles’s campaign
Demonstrated the success of Charles V’s strategy
Strengthened Bertrand du Guesclin’s reputation
Showed that England’s old methods no longer guaranteed victory
Marked the beginning of a wider French recovery in the Hundred Years’ War

In the years after Pontvallain, France steadily regained lost territory. By the end of Charles V’s reign, much of the land won by England after Crécy and Poitiers had been recovered.

Pontvallain was therefore less a dramatic finale and more a quiet revolution. The French had learned patience, coordination and discipline. They had also learned not to fight the English on English terms.

Legacy

Today Pontvallain is often overshadowed by larger and more famous battles. Yet historians increasingly recognise it as one of the decisive engagements of the Hundred Years’ War.

Crécy and Agincourt remain the glamorous battles, full of mud, arrows and doomed French charges. Pontvallain, by contrast, is a battle of planning, timing and cold efficiency. It lacks some of the theatrical qualities beloved by filmmakers and patriotic poets.

Still, wars are not usually won by theatrical qualities. They are won by commanders who notice their enemy has split his army and decide to do something about it.

Bertrand du Guesclin did exactly that in December 1370, and France would benefit from it for decades.