Editing The Anarchy (section)

===Peace negotiations (1153–1154)===
[[File:Political map of England 1153.svg|thumb|alt=A colour coded map showing the political factions in 1153|A political map of England, Wales and southern Scotland in 1153; {{legend|#347fb9|Under Henry's control}} {{legend|#e51316|Stephen}} {{legend|#bfbfbf|Indigenous Welsh}} {{legend|#ffefac|Ranulf of Chester and Robert of Leicester}} {{legend|#4cb149|David I of Scotland}}]]
Henry FitzEmpress returned to England again at the start of 1153 with a small army, supported in the north and east of England by Ranulf of Chester and Hugh Bigod.<ref>Bradbury, pp.178–179.</ref> Stephen's castle at [[Malmesbury Castle|Malmesbury]] was besieged by Henry's forces and the king responded by marching west with an army to relieve it.<ref name=BradburyP180>Bradbury, p.180.</ref> Stephen unsuccessfully attempted to force Henry's smaller army to fight a decisive battle along the [[River Avon (Bristol)|River Avon]].<ref name=BradburyP180/> In the face of the increasingly wintry weather, Stephen agreed to a temporary truce and returned to London, leaving Henry to travel north through [[the Midlands]] where the powerful [[Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester|Robert de Beaumont]], Earl of Leicester, announced his support for the Angevin cause.<ref name=BradburyP180/> Despite only modest military successes, Henry and his allies now controlled the south-west, the Midlands and much of the north of England.<ref>Bradbury, p.181.</ref> A delegation of senior English clergy met with Henry and his advisers at [[Stockbridge, Hampshire|Stockbridge]] shortly before [[Easter]].<ref>King (2007), pp.25–26.</ref> Many of the details of their discussions are unclear, but it appears that the churchmen emphasised that while they supported Stephen as king, they sought a negotiated peace; Henry reaffirmed that he would avoid the English [[cathedral]]s and would not expect the bishops to attend his court.<ref>King (2007), p.26.</ref>

Stephen intensified the long-running siege of [[Wallingford Castle]] in a final attempt to take this major Angevin stronghold.<ref>Bradbury, p.182.</ref> The fall of Wallingford appeared imminent and Henry marched south in an attempt to relieve the siege, arriving with a small army and placing Stephen's besieging forces under siege themselves.<ref name=BradburyP183>Bradbury, p.183.</ref> Upon news of this, Stephen gathered up a large force and marched from Oxford, and the two sides confronted each other across the River Thames at Wallingford in July.<ref name=BradburyP183/> By this point in the war, the barons on both sides seem to have been eager to avoid an open battle.<ref name=BradburyKingCrouchP276>Bradbury, p.183; King (2010), p.277; Crouch (2002), p.276.</ref> As a result, instead of a battle ensuing, members of the church [[Treaty of Wallingford|brokered a truce]], to the annoyance of both Stephen and Henry.<ref name=BradburyKingCrouchP276/>

In the aftermath of Wallingford, Stephen and Henry spoke together privately about a potential end to the war; Stephen's son Eustace was furious about the peaceful outcome at Wallingford. He left his father and returned home to Cambridge to gather more funds for a fresh campaign, where he fell ill and died the next month.<ref>King (2010), pp.278–279; Crouch (2002), p.276.</ref> Eustace's death removed an obvious claimant to the throne and was politically convenient for those seeking a permanent peace in England. It is possible that Stephen had already begun to consider passing over Eustace's claim; historian Edmund King observes that Eustace's claim to the throne was not mentioned in the discussions at Wallingford, for example, and this may have added to Stephen's son's anger.<ref>King (2010), p.278.</ref>

Fighting continued after Wallingford, but in a rather half-hearted fashion. Stephen lost the towns of [[Oxford]] and [[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]] to Henry while the king was diverted fighting Hugh Bigod in the east of England, but [[Nottingham Castle]] survived an Angevin attempt to capture it.<ref>Bradbury, p.184.</ref> Meanwhile, Stephen's brother Henry of Blois and Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury were for once unified in an effort to broker a permanent peace between the two sides, putting pressure on Stephen to accept a deal.<ref>King (2010), pp.279–280; Bradbury, p.187.</ref> Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress's armies met again at Winchester, where the two leaders would ratify the terms of a permanent peace in November.<ref>King (2010), p.280.</ref> Stephen announced the [[Treaty of Winchester]] in Winchester Cathedral: he recognised Henry FitzEmpress as his adopted son and successor, in return for Henry doing [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] to him; Stephen promised to listen to Henry's advice, but retained all his royal powers; Stephen's remaining son, [[William I, Count of Boulogne|William]], would do homage to Henry and renounce his claim to the throne, in exchange for promises of the security of his lands; key royal castles would be held on Henry's behalf by guarantors whilst Stephen would have access to Henry's castles; and the numerous foreign mercenaries would be demobilised and sent home.<ref>King (2010), pp.280–283; Bradbury pp.189–190; Barlow, pp.187–188.</ref> Stephen and Henry sealed the treaty with a [[kiss of peace]] in the cathedral.<ref>King (2010), p.281.</ref>