Battlefields›Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646
English Civil War

Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646

1646
England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalist
VS
Victor
Parliament
Outcome
Shotover Hill was fortified by Royalist troops, who built 'new works' there in 1643; Sir Thomas Fairfax's forces captured the hill in 1645, and it formed part of the Parliamentary siege lines during the final siege of Oxford (May-June 1646), which ended with the Royalist garrison's surrender on 24 June 1646. No source found by this review specifically describes a distinct artillery 'battery' at Shotover, nor confirms the claim of overlapping fields of fire with Headington; those specific details could not be verified and have been removed.
The Battle

History & Significance

Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646 was a Civil War siege, the investment of a fortified position, fought in England in 1646. The victor was Parliament. Shotover Hill was fortified by Royalist troops, who built 'new works' there in 1643; Sir Thomas Fairfax's forces captured the hill in 1645, and it formed part of the Parliamentary siege lines during the final siege of Oxford (May-June 1646), which ended with the Royalist garrison's surrender on 24 June 1646. No source found by this review specifically describes a distinct artillery 'battery' at Shotover, nor confirms the claim of overlapping fields of fire with Headington; those specific details could not be verified and have been removed.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646 lies on Corallian Group, bedrock that formed in the Oxfordian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

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Everything a full report reveals about Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646

This page covers Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646. 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
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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
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Shotover Hill (Siege of Oxford) 1646

Oxford city walls
Oxford city walls
Scheduled monument · ~1.8 mi

Oxford city walls are a scheduled ancient monument comprising the defensive fortifications that once enclosed the medieval city of Oxford. The walls were substantially constructed during the late Saxon period, with major development and reinforcement occurring in the Norman and medieval periods,…

Camboxer / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains
Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains
Scheduled monument · ~2.3 mi

Oxford Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress established in the late eleventh century following the conquest of England in 1066. The castle's defensive earthwork, comprising a substantial mound with surrounding ditch, remains a prominent feature within Oxford's medieval townscape. The site…

Tejvan Pettinger / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Rewley Abbey
Rewley Abbey
Scheduled monument · ~2.6 mi

Rewley Abbey is a Benedictine priory founded in the late twelfth century in Oxford, established as a daughter house of the Abbey of Caen in Normandy. The site lies on the banks of the Thames to the west of the medieval city, and its foundation reflected Oxford's growing importance as a centre of…

Bill Nicholls / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Osney Abbey (remains of)
Osney Abbey (remains of)
Scheduled monument · ~2.7 mi

Osney Abbey is a ruined Augustinian priory founded in 1129 by Robert D'Oilly in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The abbey was one of the most important religious houses in medieval Oxford, serving as a centre of learning and piety until its dissolution in 1540 during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monaster…

Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Swing bridge, LNWR Station
Swing bridge, LNWR Station
Scheduled monument · ~2.7 mi

Swing Bridge, LNWR Station is a railway bridge of the 19th century associated with the London and North Western Railway's infrastructure in Oxfordshire. The bridge is constructed to allow passage of vessels by means of a pivoting swing mechanism, a characteristic design that reflects the engineer…

Robin Webster / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Garsington village cross
Garsington village cross
Scheduled monument · ~3 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
Section of the Grandpont causeway
Scheduled monument · ~2 miles
Old Abingdon Road Culverts
Scheduled monument · ~2.3 miles
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