Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge took place on 20 July 1644 on and around Gunnislake New Bridge, a bridge over the River Tamar between Cornwall and Devon, during the First English Civil War.

During the Civil War the county of Cornwall was entirely loyal to King Charles I and the Royalist cause. However, Devon was Parliamentarian, making the River Tamar the site of many battles. Each side understood that if they were to either invade the other county or defend against invasion, they had to have control of the Tamar's crossings. Gunnislake New Bridge was one of four bridges crossing the River Tamar.

The Parliamentarian forces, headed by Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, pushed into Cornwall over the bridge. They were met by Richard Grenville's forces, who were quartered at the garrisons of Cotehele House and Harewood House, Calstock. The battle was hard fought and lasted all day. The Royalists prevented the Parliamentarians from advancing further into Cornwall, at a cost of 200 casualties and many taken prisoner. The Parliamentarians lost about 40 men.

After the battle both sides continued to defend their ends of the bridge. Lord Essex travelled north to Launceston, leaving half of his troops defending New Bridge. He then regrouped with his other forces based in the northern half of the Tamar Valley. On the 26th of July Essex crossed the Tamar at Horsebridge, penetrating the Royalist defences and continuing into the heart of Cornwall. This advance culminated in the Battle of Lostwithiel, a disastrous defeat for the Parliamentarians.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge lies on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge

Camp NE of Berra Tor

Scheduled monument · ~3.4 mi

Camp NE of Berra Tor is a prehistoric hillfort situated on elevated terrain in Devon. The site comprises an Iron Age defensive enclosure defined by earthwork ramparts that would have served both protective and territorial functions for its inhabitants. The fort's strategic positioning exploits th…

Guy Wareham / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Buckland Abbey

Scheduled monument · ~4.8 mi

Buckland Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in the mid-thirteenth century in Devon, establishing itself as a daughter house of the Abbey of Quarr on the Isle of Wight. The abbey was constructed in the characteristic Cistercian architectural style and functioned as a centre of agricultural an…

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Huckworthy Cross: a wayside cross 1.4km SSW of Sampford Spiney village

Scheduled monument · ~6 mi

Huckworthy Cross is a wayside cross located 1.4 kilometres south-south-west of Sampford Spiney in Devon. The monument dates to the medieval period and represents the type of carved stone cross that historically marked routes across the moorland landscape of south-western England. Such crosses ser…

Alan Rosevear / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Slight univallate hillfort called Cadson Bury

Scheduled monument · ~6.3 mi

Cadson Bury is a slight univallate hillfort located in Cornwall, England, dating to the Iron Age. The site is defined by a single defensive bank and ditch enclosing an area of modest proportions, characteristic of smaller hillforts from the later prehistoric period. Its univallate construction su…

Tony Atkin / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Walkhampton Church House cross: a wayside cross on the east side of Church House, 650m north east of Walkhampton village

Scheduled monument · ~6.6 mi

Walkhampton Church House cross is a wayside cross situated on the east side of Church House, approximately 650 metres north-east of Walkhampton village in Devon. The monument dates to the medieval period, reflecting the widespread tradition of erecting stone crosses in prominent locations through…

Alan Rosevear / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Yennadon Cross: a wayside cross 340m south of Peekhill

Scheduled monument · ~7.2 mi

Yennadon Cross is a wayside cross located 340 metres south of Peekhill in Devon. The monument belongs to the medieval period and survives as a standing stone cross of the type common throughout south-western England, typically serving as a marker along ancient routes or parish boundaries. The cro…

Alan Rosevear / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Battles near Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge

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• Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge · Wikidata
• Battle_of_Gunnislake_New_Bridge · Wikipedia