BattlefieldsBath 1138 -- Stephen's Western Campaign
Medieval

Bath 1138 -- Stephen's Western Campaign

1138
England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
western Angevin sympathisers
Forces
western Angevin sympathisers around Bath
VS
Victor
Stephen's royalist forces
Forces
Stephen's royalist forces
Outcome
Bath secured temporarily by royalist forces; western campaign achieved limited lasting results
The Battle

History & Significance

Bath was contested in 1138 during Stephen's western campaign to reduce Angevin strongholds before Robert of Gloucester formally defied him. The city's position between Bristol and the Thames valley made it strategically important, and Stephen's agents attempted to secure it against the anticipated defection of the western magnates. The campaign of 1138 in the west was Stephen's last opportunity to contain the Anarchy before it became unmanageable.

Questions & Answers

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