BattlefieldsWestern Rising — Woodbury Common Dispersal August 1549
Tudor

Western Rising — Woodbury Common Dispersal August 1549

1549
Devon, England
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Devon, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Western Rising rebels
Forces
Western rebels
VS
Victor
Royal forces under the Earl of Bedford (John Russell)
Forces
Royal cavalry under Russell
Outcome
Rebel remnants dispersed on Woodbury Common; pursuit casualties heavy; western rising in Devon effectively ended
The Battle

History & Significance

Following the breaking of the rebel line at Clyst Heath and Clyst St Mary, surviving western rebels fell back toward Woodbury Common where some attempted to regroup. Lord Russell and his cavalry pursued aggressively, and the dispersal on the common eliminated any possibility of the western army reconstituting. Many rebels were cut down in the pursuit across the open ground of the common.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Devon

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Devon