BattlefieldsFirst Newbury 1643 Rupert Cavalry Flank Action
English Civil War

First Newbury 1643 Rupert Cavalry Flank Action

1643
England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists
Forces
Parliamentary cavalry wing
VS
Victor
Parliament
Forces
Royalist cavalry under Prince Rupert
Outcome
Parliamentary strategic victory; Rupert cavalry on the eastern flank achieved local success but could not decide the battle; the enclosed terrain on the western wing was crucial to the London Trained Band resistance that stabilised the Parliamentary line.
The Battle

History & Significance

At the First Battle of Newbury on 20 September 1643, Prince Rupert led the Royalist cavalry on the eastern flank and initially drove back Parliamentary horse, but the hedged enclosures of Wash Common to the west prevented cavalry action on that wing. The Royalist defeat resulted partly from the inability to use their cavalry superiority across the whole field because of the enclosed terrain.

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