BattlefieldsSiege of Goodrich Castle
English Civil War

Siege of Goodrich Castle

1645–1646
Herefordshire, England
Also known as: Goodrich Castle Civil War Siege 1645-1646
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Herefordshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Sir Henry Lingen)
Forces
Royalists c. 400–600; major medieval fortress.
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Colonel John Birch)
Forces
Parliamentarians c. 3,500–5,000
Outcome
Goodrich surrendered after long siege; castle deliberately demolished
The Battle

History & Significance

Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire — one of the finest surviving medieval castles in England — was a major Royalist garrison. Colonel John Birch's Parliamentary forces besieged it persistently. Parliament deployed 'Roaring Meg' — an enormous mortar cannon, still displayed at Hereford Cathedral — to bombard the walls. The castle surrendered in July 1646. Parliament ordered it slighted, and the deliberate demolition left the magnificent ruins that stand today.

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