First Battle of Newbury

The First Battle of Newbury with Warwick Louth

1643 marked the high watermark of Royalist fortunes. With a string of victories under their belt on all fronts, all the Royalists needed to do was ensure a numerical superiority against their Parliamentarian foes. However, with Gloucester relieved by the Earl of Essex, Royalist momentum slowed. Yet in so doing, London was left exposed.

A race ensued to be the first back to strike the last decisive blow before winter set in. Both sides met at Newbury, 20th September 1643. What would follow would be a slaughter-yard of honour, confusion and lost chances, as both sides struggled to alter the strategic balance.

Made up of the full cast of characters that make the British Civil Wars so colourful, Newbury remains one of the least well protected historic battlefields in Britain.

Despite its sleepy atmosphere, the story of the battle (and subsequent battles) are all but forgotten today. And yet, the struggle to interpret directly mirrors the confusion of hedgerows and bitter fighting encountered in 1645. Ultimately First Newbury acts as a bittersweet clause of what might have been.