BattlefieldsBattle of Torrington 1646
English Civil War

Battle of Torrington 1646

1646
Devon, England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Devon, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Sir Ralph Hopton)
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Sir Thomas Fairfax)
Outcome
Decisive Parliamentarian victory; night battle fought street by street through the town; a stray spark ignited about 80 barrels of gunpowder stored as a magazine in Torrington church, destroying the church and killing the prisoners held there (of both sides) and nearly killing Fairfax; this effectively ended the battle and Royalist resistance in the West Country collapsed
The Battle

History & Significance

The Battle of Torrington (16 February 1646) was a decisive battle of the south-western campaign of the First English Civil War and marked the end of Royalist resistance in the West Country. It took place in Torrington, Devon.

Confirmed battlefield location
Casualties & Losses

Not recorded as a specific overall figure in surviving sources beyond the prisoners killed in the church explosion

Forces Involved

Parliamentarian: approximately 10,000 under Fairfax. Royalist: approximately 3,000 horse and 2,000 foot under Hopton

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