Siege of Bridgwater (1645)
Who Fought
History & Significance
The siege of Bridgwater took place in July 1645, during the First English Civil War, when a Royalist garrison surrendered to a Parliamentarian force under Sir Thomas Fairfax.
After their victory at Naseby in June, Fairfax and the New Model Army moved into Somerset, where they linked up with the Western Association Army led by Edward Massey. On 10 July, their combined force destroyed the last significant Royalist field army at Langport, clearing the way for an attack on Bridgwater.
Siege operations began on 13 July; on 21st, Parliamentarian forces stormed the western part of the town. Many of the buildings were set on fire, and the garrison capitulated on 23 July; over 1,600 prisoners were taken, along with large quantities of weapons and other stores.
The capture of Bridgwater meant Parliamentarian forces controlled a line of forts from the Bristol to the English Channels, isolating the Royalist West Country from the rest of England. Fairfax captured Bath and Sherborne, Dorset in August, then moved against Bristol in early September, the most significant port still in Royalist hands.
At the beginning of 1645, the Royalists still controlled most of the West Country, Wales, and counties along the English border. On 14 June, the New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax won a decisive victory over Prince Rupert at Naseby. This left Lord Goring's Western Army as the last significant Royalist field force.
The New Model linked up with the Western Association Army under Edward Massey, and forced Goring to end the blockade of Taunton. The next day, Fairfax destroyed the Royalist Western Army at Langport. Before moving against the Royalist-held port of Bristol, he first had to secure his rear. Large parts of the West Country were controlled by Clubmen, local militia groups set up to resist depredations from either side, which were often a greater threat than the Royalists.
Many Royalist fugitives from Langport were killed by Somerset clubmen, in retaliation for the damage caused during their occupation. Regardless of political allegiance, the main objective for these groups was to end the war, and Fairfax persuaded their leaders withholding support from the Royalists was the quickest way to achieve this. They agreed to remain neutral, in return for assurances Parliament would pay for any supplies they took.
This enabled Fairfax to rest his men and collect supplies, before arriving at Bridgwater on 13 July. Prior to commencing siege operations, the New Model captured Sydenham Manor, directly east of the town. Massey cleared Royalist outposts at Hamp, giving him control of the high ground to the south, while a naval blockade prevented the garrison from being resupplied from the sea.
The ground they fought on
The site of Siege of Bridgwater (1645) lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
- Royalists: Minimal; 1,600 prisoners
- Parliamentarians: 20 dead, 100 wounded
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- Siege of Bridgwater · Wikidata
- Siege of Bridgwater (1645) · Wikipedia