During Henry VIII’s reign he issued a statute requiring his subjects aged 7-60 to practice longbow. He placed a ban on bowling, tennis, playing cards and other games, complaining that games distracted people from “the exercising of longbows and archery”.

Longbows were used extensively during The Battle of Flodden Field. In the church of St. Leonard’s in Middleton, Lancashire there is a stained glass window depicting the victorious Middleton Archers. It is said to be the oldest war memorial in the country.