A devastating weapon on the medieval battlefield, the English Longbow was used extensively between the 13th and 17th centuries. Usually made of yew, the longbow was adopted by the English after Welsh archers deployed it against them during the invasions of Wales. The weapon was first used effectively by the English during the campaigns of King Edward I and played a key role in the victory over the Scots at Falkirk in 1298. Over the next two hundred years, the longbow became an integral part of English armies and extensive measures were put in place to obtain bowstaves and ensure that a trained population of archers existed. It was during the Hundred Years' War that the longbow earned its greatest fame when it contributed heavily to the victories at Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and Agincourt (1415). With the arrival of gunpowder weapons, the longbow fell from use, last seeing action during the English Civil War (1642-1651).

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