BattlefieldsSpanish Armada — Engagement off Kent/Strait of Dover (1588)
Tudor

Spanish Armada — Engagement off Kent/Strait of Dover (1588)

1588
Kent, England
Also known as: Armada off Calais 1588 · Gravelines engagement 1588 Dover approach
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Naval Engagement
Location
Kent, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Spain (Medina Sidonia)
Forces
Spanish Armada c.130 ships.
VS
Victor
England (Lord Howard / Drake)
Forces
English fleet c.55 ships
Outcome
Armada disrupted by fireships at Calais; scattered by battle off Gravelines; driven into North Sea
The Battle

History & Significance

The running fight through the English Channel culminated off the Kent and Dover coasts. English fireships drove the Armada from its anchorage off Calais at night, dispersing the fleet's tight defensive formation. The subsequent battle off Gravelines saw English gunfire inflict significant damage. The Armada was driven north and forced to attempt a disastrous return around Scotland and Ireland. The engagement is one of the most celebrated naval actions in English history.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Kent

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 Kent