BattlefieldsSiege of Pembroke Castle (Second Civil War)
English Civil War

Siege of Pembroke Castle (Second Civil War)

1648
Pembrokeshire, Wales
Also known as: Pembroke 1648 · Cromwell at Pembroke
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Pembrokeshire, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Colonel Poyer)
Forces
Parliamentary besiegers: c.6,000
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Cromwell)
Forces
Royalist garrison: c.2,000
Outcome
Pembroke surrendered July 1648 after seven-week siege; Poyer later executed by lottery
The Battle

History & Significance

Colonel John Poyer, a former Parliamentary officer, seized Pembroke Castle and sparked the Second Civil War in Wales. Cromwell came in person to besiege it. Without siege artillery, the reduction took weeks; Poyer finally surrendered when hope of relief was gone. Three leaders were condemned; lots were drawn for who would be shot; Poyer drew the fatal slip.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Pembrokeshire

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 Pembrokeshire