Following the Lancastrian defeat at Towton 1461, Queen Margaret, a few nobles and what was left of the army retreated into Scotland. From there, the Lancastrians invaded the northern counties of Northumberland and Cumberland with the help of the Scots and French.

They captured a number of strategic castles including Alnwick, Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh. These changed hands a number of times as the Yorkists, under Edward IV, sought to alienate the Lancastrians from their Scottish allies. To this end Edward's ambassadors were negotiating a peace with James III of Scotland in 1463/4.

In April 1464, John Neville, Lord Montague was commanded to go to Norham castle on the Scottish border and escort a Scottish delegation south. The Lancastrians under the Duke of Somerset set out to prevent Montague from reaching Norham. Just outside Newcastle, Humphrey Neville of Brancepeth - from the Lancastrian side of the Neville family - and about 80 men attempted to ambush Montague.

This alerted the Yorkists and they continued on their journey north with an increased force of 500 to 1,000 that contained mounted men-at-arms and archers. Midway between Alnwick and Wooler, at Hedgeley Moor, the Lancastrians under Somerset laid another ambush for Montague. They probably numbered about 1,000 men and included Lord Roos, Lord Hungerford, Sir Ralph Percy, Sir Richard Tunstall and Sir Thomas Finderne. When Lord Montague and his mounted escort arrived at Hedgeley Moor they were charged by the Lancastrian vanguard under Sir Ralph Percy. In what could be described as a mounted skirmish, Percy was killed and the rest of the Lancastrians took flight, leaving Montague to complete his mission north.