The Battle of Aldbourne Chase was a relatively small battle of the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...
that occurred on 18 September 1643. In the skirmish the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
cavalry led by
Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...
attacked the extended columns of the
Parliamentarian army of
the Earl of Essex at
Aldbourne Chase, Wiltshire, as he was attempting to get his army to London.
The battle in and of itself was inconclusive, but it allowed the Royalists to get to
Newbury ahead of Essex and ultimately forced the Parliamentarian army into a major confrontation.
Background
After relieving the
siege of Gloucester, the Earl of Essex needed to return to London with his army intact. To do so, Essex first chose to travel north to
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Riv ...
in an attempt to draw the Royalist forces near Gloucester off his intended route back to London. After
King Charles
King Charles may refer to:
Kings
A number of kings of Albania, Alençon, Anjou, Austria, Bohemia, Croatia, England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Ireland, Jerusalem, Naples, Navarre, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sardinia, Scotland, Sicily, Sp ...
and the Royalist army followed, Essex turned south and travelled through
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
to
Cirencester where on 16 September he attacked and captured the Royalist garrison. At that time, Essex thought that he was far ahead of the Royalist army and slowed the pace of his army as they marched toward
Swindon
Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...
.
When King Charles realized that Essex was attempting to travel directly to London, he sent Prince Rupert ahead with the cavalry in an attempt to intercept the Parliamentarian army before it could link up with reinforcements coming from London.
Battle
Early on 18 September, Rupert's cavalry caught the Parliamentarians as they were crossing Aldbourne Chase, approximately two miles north-west of the village of Aldbourne. Rupert came upon long columns of Parliamentarian infantry, ambling along with large intervals between the individual divisions. Given such an opportunity, the Royalist cavalry immediately began a series of charges at the Parliamentarian foot. Although the Parliamentarian cavalry soon joined in the fray, the Royalists began to take a heavy toll on the Parliamentary infantry units. The Royalist charges continued as the Parliamentary foot struggled to unite into a single fighting force. The Royalists began to prevail despite a charge by Colonel Harvey of the Parliamentarians.
As they were able, the Parliamentarians began a retreat off the down, starting with their baggage and followed by their foot. The battle ultimately continued through the village of Aldbourne where the Parliamentarians destroyed ammunition wagons to prevent their capture. Finally, in combination with their infantry, the Parliamentarians were able to hold off the Royalists and even drive them away.
Aftermath
When Essex felt it was safe to continue the march, he chose not to continue on the London road, but rather to cross the
River Kennet and use it as a barrier as he travelled through
Hungerford to
Newbury. As a result of the skirmish at Aldbourne Chase and the alternative route taken, the Parliamentarians were delayed and the King's army arrived and occupied Newbury on 19 September just before the Parliamentarians arrived. The delay at Aldbourne Chase thus ultimately blocked Essex from London and led to the
First Battle of Newbury of 20 September.
Citations
References
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1643 in England
Aldbourne Chase 1643
Conflicts in 1643
17th century in Wiltshire