BattlefieldsSiege of Bristol (1643)
English Civil War

Siege of Bristol (1643)

1643
Gloucestershire, England
Also known as: Storming of Bristol 1643 · Fall of Bristol
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Gloucestershire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Parliamentarians (Fiennes)
Forces
Parliamentarians c.2,500. Major siege of England's second city.
VS
Victor
Royalists (Prince Rupert)
Forces
Royalists c.10,000
Outcome
Bristol taken by storm 26 July 1643; garrison surrendered
The Battle

History & Significance

The fall of Bristol — England's second city and largest port — was the greatest Royalist success of 1643. Rupert stormed the city walls in a costly assault. Parliament court-martialled Governor Fiennes for surrendering too early. Bristol gave the Royalists a major Atlantic port and manufacturing base.

Casualties & Losses

500 Royalists killed in the storm

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Gloucestershire

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 Gloucestershire