BattlefieldsSiege of Laugharne Castle
English Civil War

Siege of Laugharne Castle

1644
Carmarthenshire, Wales
Also known as: Laugharne Castle falls to Parliament November 1644
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Carmarthenshire, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Lieutenant-Colonel Russell)
Forces
Royalist garrison c.200.
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Colonel Rowland Laugharne)
Forces
Parliamentarians c.400–800
Outcome
Parliamentary victory after one-week siege; castle cannon-damaged and partially demolished
The Battle

History & Significance

Laugharne Castle — where Dylan Thomas would later write — was held by a 200-man Royalist garrison under Lt-Col Russell. Colonel Rowland Laugharne (later himself a Royalist in the Second Civil War) besieged it with 2,000 men and artillery on 29 October 1644. The garrison refused to surrender, so cannon fire was used. The castle fell on 3 November after a night attack. Parts were deliberately demolished to prevent re-use. The connection between Dylan Thomas and this battered Civil War ruin gives Laugharne its unique character.

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