Battlefields›Battle of Chalgrove 1643
English Civil War

Battle of Chalgrove 1643

1643
England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Registered · NHLE 1000006
The Combatants

Who Fought

Victor
Chalgrove was a convincing Royalist success
Forces involved

The Royalist force commanded by Prince Rupert on his raid into Oxfordshire comprised 1,000 Horse, 500 Dragoons and 500 Foot. Prince Rupert encountered Parliamentary troops at Tetsworth, Postcombe and at Chinnor. The Royalist force was followed by Parliamentary

The Battle

History & Significance

The Battle of Chalgrove Field took place on 18 June 1643, during the First English Civil War, near Chalgrove, Oxfordshire. It is now best remembered for the death of John Hampden, who was wounded in the shoulder during the battle and died six days later. Hoping to capture a Parliamentarian convoy containing £21,000 in cash, during the night of 17 to 18 June Royalist cavalry from Oxford led by Prince Rupert raided positions around Chinnor. Although they failed to intercept the convoy, they seized supplies and prisoners and headed home pursued by cavalry under Hampden and Major John Gunter.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Chalgrove 1643 lies on Gault Formation And Upper Greensand Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Cenomanian. The rock here is mudstone, sandstone and limestone.

Casualties & Losses
  • It seems that the Parliamentary side suffered 100 men killed in the battle (at Chinnor and Chalgrove) and lost 200 prisoners to the Royalists (120 taken at Chinnor and 80 at Chalgrove). The significant feature of the loss for Parliament was that the casualties
Registered Historic Battlefield

This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: NHLE 1000006.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Chalgrove 1643

This page covers Battle of Chalgrove 1643. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Chalgrove 1643

Chislehampton Bridge
Chislehampton Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~3.3 mi

Chislehampton Bridge is a stone arch bridge crossing the River Thame in Oxfordshire, located in the parish of Chislehampton. The bridge dates from the medieval period and survives as a significant example of vernacular bridge architecture from that era. Its construction reflects the importance of…

Roger Templeman / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Rycote Chapel
Rycote Chapel
Scheduled monument · ~4.4 mi

Rycote Chapel is a private chapel of medieval origin located near Thame in Oxfordshire, England. The structure dates primarily from the fifteenth century and represents an important example of late medieval chapel architecture, featuring characteristic perpendicular Gothic styling. The chapel ser…

Steve Daniels / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Roman town
Roman town
Scheduled monument · ~4.9 mi

Roman town is a Romano-British settlement site in Oxfordshire, England, dating to the Roman period of occupation in Britain. The site represents an important example of urban settlement during the Roman era, reflecting the administrative and commercial development that characterised Romano-Britis…

Garsington village cross
Garsington village cross
Scheduled monument · ~4.9 mi

Garsington village cross is a medieval monument located in the parish of Garsington in Oxfordshire. The structure dates from the medieval period and served as a focal point for the village community, functioning as a market cross or meeting place typical of English villages during this era. The c…

Motacilla / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Dike Hills
Dike Hills
Scheduled monument · ~5.3 mi

Dike Hills is a late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement site located near Dorchester-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. The monument comprises a series of linear defensive ditches and banks that enclose an area of approximately eight hectares, representing a significant territorial boundary or settlem…

Rod Allday / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ickford Bridge See also OXFORDSHIRE 227
Ickford Bridge See also OXFORDSHIRE 227
Scheduled monument · ~5.3 mi

Ickford Bridge is a medieval bridge crossing the River Thame in Buckinghamshire, England. The structure dates from the medieval period and represents an important example of the stone bridge engineering techniques employed during the Middle Ages. The bridge's construction reflects the significanc…

Steve Daniels / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ice house at Ascott House, 190m north west of Ascott Farm
Scheduled monument · ~2.2 miles
Site of manor house and royal palace
Scheduled monument · ~4 miles
More from this era

Other English Civil War Battles

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1612
Scotland
Campbell Raid into MacDonald Islay Territory 1612
1612
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Mackenzie Seizure of Lewis 1610
1610
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Iona — Chiefs Signing Under Duress 1609
1609
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In the same landscape

Battles near Battle of Chalgrove 1643

Battle of Chalgrove Field
1643
~0.4 miles away
Skirmish at Great Haseley 1644
1644
~3 miles away
Battle of Bensington (779)
779
~4.2 miles away
Anarchy: Wallingford Siege Sub-actions 1153
1153
~5.6 miles away
Aubrey Research

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Sources
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