The rebels marched down the hill a little way to confront the opposition. Almost immediately Edward's men clashed against and defeated the cavalry facing them, killing or taking prisoner several nobles, including John Giffard (who, having promised to strike the first blow, was ultimately led away to the castle a captured man). Then Edward's men smashed into the rear ranks, scattering them in many directions. The fleeing de Montfort cavalry from this division's front rank, including Geoffrey de Lucy and Humphrey de Bohun, went with them. Edward kept up the chase and continued the destruction for between three to five kilometres from the battlefield.
An assertion made at the time suggests that "the flower of all the army" were with Edward: Warenne, William de Valence, Hugh Bigod, Roger Mortimer and other Marcher barons were certainly with him and had effectively left the field.
In any event, while Edward was away, disaster overcame the remnants of the king's army. De Montfort's central division charged down the slope above the hospital and smashed into Richard's division, probably as it began the steep ascent by the hospital. Richard dropped back to a mill, where he was soon captured.
Meanwhile de Montfort's right closed on the king and his men. The fighting was particularly intense: de Montfort's standard bearer, William le Blund, was killed, as was king Henry's judge William of Wilton.
William of Axmouth, the king's paymaster to his knights and serjeants later died of his injuries, and Philip Basset, the justiciar, refused to surrender while he could still stand. He took more than twenty wounds.