BattlefieldsSiege of Arundel Castle 1643-44 — Civil War
English Civil War

Siege of Arundel Castle 1643-44 — Civil War

1643–1644
West Sussex, England
Also known as: Arundel 1643 Civil War · Waller retakes Arundel
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
West Sussex, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Arundel garrison)
Forces
Royalists c.400-600. Waller's successful siege.
VS
Victor
Parliament (Sir William Waller)
Forces
Parliament c.2,000-2,500
Outcome
Arundel captured by Royalists December 1643; retaken by Waller January 1644 after six-week siege
The Battle

History & Significance

Arundel Castle changed hands twice in 1643-44. Royalists seized it from a small parliamentary garrison in December 1643. Sir William Waller besieged it through the winter of 1644, conducting a methodical bombardment. The garrison of some 1,000 men suffered terribly from cold and disease and surrendered on 6 January 1644 — many were found to be dying of scurvy and starvation. The recapture of Arundel confirmed parliamentary dominance of Sussex for the rest of the war.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around West Sussex

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 West Sussex