Bayonne: Expanding English Influence on the Atlantic

• Bayonne, a key port city in Gascony, also came under English rule in 1154 as part of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s inheritance.
• Its coastal location on the Adour River made it an essential trading hub, facilitating English access to Basque fisheries, wine exports, and commerce with Iberia.
• Bayonne’s inclusion in the Angevin realm secured greater English naval influence in the Bay of Biscay and strengthened connections with Aquitaine.

Impact of These Acquisitions

• The Angevin Empire was now a dominant force in Western Europe, stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees.
• The Capetian monarchy in France found itself increasingly encircled by English-controlled territories, setting the stage for centuries of conflict between the two crowns.
• The control of Touraine and Bayonne reinforced Henry II’s authority over key trade routes, military strongholds, and economic centers, further consolidating his power on the Continent.

Though gained through inheritance rather than conquest, these territories greatly expanded English influence in France, deepening the Anglo-French rivalry that would last for centuries.