BattlefieldsBattle of Maidstone (Second Civil War — 1648)
English Civil War

Battle of Maidstone (Second Civil War — 1648)

1648
Kent, England
Also known as: Maidstone 1648 · Fairfax crushes Kent rising
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Kent, England
Status
Registered · EHB56
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Kent rising — Hales / Gervase Lucas)
Forces
c.11,000 Kent Royalists
VS
Victor
Parliament (Fairfax)
Forces
c.6,000 Parliamentarians (Fairfax)
Outcome
Parliamentary forces stormed Maidstone; Kentish rising defeated in intense street fighting
The Battle

History & Significance

The Kentish rising of 1648 — the largest Royalist insurrection of the Second Civil War — was crushed at the Battle of Maidstone. Fairfax stormed the town defended by 11,000 Kentish Royalists. The battle was fought street by street, house by house, through the night. The defeat scattered the Kentish force; the survivors who escaped northward crossed the Thames into Essex, creating the force that would occupy Colchester and precipitate its great siege.

Casualties & Losses

300 Royalists killed; many prisoners

Registered Historic Battlefield

This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: EHB56.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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