On this day 380 years ago, the Second Battle of Newbury was fought
In the autumn of 1644, the English Civil War returned to Newbury.
The Royalists had won a major victory against Parliament at the Battle of Lostwithiel fought in Cornwall between August and September 1644.
But they had lost control of northern England at the Battle of Marston Moor earlier in July, considered one the largest battles ever fought on English soil.
The tide of the war appeared to be turning in favour of Parliament.
The Second Battle of Newbury was fought on October 27, close to where the first battle was fought a year earlier.
Who won The First Battle of Newbury?
Neither battle was particularly decisive, with both sides failing to make any great strategic gains.
Only this time, the Royalists realised their mistake of letting the Parliamentarians slip away to London the year before.
Before the Second Battle
King Charles I was marching his army east to relieve the Royalist garrisons at Banbury Castle, Basing House and Donnington Castle.
He was intercepted north of Newbury by the combined Parliamentarian forces under the command of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex.
On October 22, the King stayed at Donnington Castle.
His forces set up defences there, as well as at Shaw House, held by Lord Jacob Astley, and the village of Speen, held by Prince Maurice, the King’s nephew.
The Second Battle of Newbury
The River Kennet prevented any Parliamentary flanking manoeuvre to the south but – crucially – the River Lambourn divided the Royalist forces at Speen and Shaw.
The Parliamentarians skirmished to Clay Hill and exchanged artillery fire with the Royalists on October 26.
During the evening, they split their forces with Sir William Waller and Oliver Cromwell taking around 12,000 infantrymen west to Speen.
Battle commenced the following day.
Upon hearing the gunfire of Waller’s musketeers, the Earl of Manchester was supposed to attack Shaw House with a force of 7,000 infantrymen, but he delayed.
He claimed the artillery fire at Shaw House was too loud.
The Parliamentarians took Speen but failed to break the Royalist defence at Shaw House.
The first day’s fighting ended. Both sides suffered heavy casualties.
While the Royalists had fended off the first enemy assault, they knew they would not survive another.
Under the cover of darkness, the King and his army were allowed to retreat to safety in Oxford.
The aftermath
Divisions within the Parliamentary ranks, particularly between Oliver Cromwell and the Earl of Manchester, led to Parliament introducing the Self Denying Ordinance in April 1645, a major outcome of the battle which prevented those in political office from assuming military command.
The combined forces of Waller, Manchester and Essex were amalgamated into the New Model Army, which besieged Donnington Castle.
The castle endured a gruelling 20-month siege which started in July 1644.
Its garrison, under the command of Sir John Boys, defended against repeated Parliamentary attacks until finally surrendering in April 1646.
The occupiers demolished most of the castle, leaving only the gatehouse standing today.
Parliament would eventually win the English Civil War.