The proposed French landing around Newcastle is criticized for choosing a destination without adequately considering the landing places and local population. The account draws on Leslie's examination of possible sites, where neighbouring communities fought one another and knew the ground much better than arriving troops would. An advance south would also have to reckon with the route through York, familiar territory for English armies. The comparison with the French landing in Wales describes local women resisting soldiers near their homes before later assembling in a way that resembled troops. That earlier resistance is said to have caused more French losses than the final confrontation. The discussion mixes this assessment of terrain and resistance with jokes about local fighting habits.
Notable Point · 1:04:05-1:08:03
Why a French landing near Newcastle looked impractical
A proposed French landing near Newcastle is criticized through its beaches, routes, and local resistance, with the Welsh landing used as a comparison.