BattlefieldsSiege of Shrewsbury 1645
English Civil War

Siege of Shrewsbury 1645

1645
Shropshire, England
Also known as: Parliament Takes Shrewsbury by Surprise · Shrewsbury Escalade 1645
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Shropshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists
Forces
Royalist garrison c.400–600.
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Mytton)
Forces
Parliamentary c.1,500–2,000
Outcome
Shrewsbury taken by surprise escalade; major Royalist base lost
The Battle

History & Significance

Colonel Thomas Mytton led a Parliamentary force that took Shrewsbury by surprise escalade — scaling ladders placed against the walls at night — in February 1645. The Royalists were caught completely off-guard. The loss of Shrewsbury — the Royalist administrative centre for Wales and the Marches — was a catastrophe for the Royalist cause in the west, opening Wales to Parliamentary operations and cutting off an important route for Irish reinforcements.

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