BattlefieldsBattle of Edgehill — Parliamentary Cavalry Pursuit
English Civil War

Battle of Edgehill — Parliamentary Cavalry Pursuit

1642
Warwickshire, England
Also known as: Kineton Plunder after Edgehill 1642
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Warwickshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Parliamentary baggage train
Forces
c.15,000 Parliamentarians (Essex)
VS
Victor
Royalist cavalry (temporarily)
Forces
c.14,000 Royalists (Prince Rupert, Charles I)
Outcome
Royalist cavalry plundered Parliamentary baggage at Kineton; returned too late
The Battle

History & Significance

The fatal flaw of the battle of Edgehill was Rupert's cavalry's failure to return after their successful charge. The horse pursued fleeing Parliamentary cavalry all the way to Kineton, where they plundered the baggage train. While they were away, the infantry battle raged without cavalry support, ending in stalemate. When Rupert's cavalry finally returned, it was too late to affect the battle. This episode defined the problem of controlling Civil War cavalry — a lesson that Cromwell would use to build the New Model Army's discipline.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Warwickshire

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 Warwickshire