BattlefieldsSiege of Exeter (Anarchy)
Medieval

Siege of Exeter (Anarchy)

1136
Devon, England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Devon, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Baldwin de Redvers
VS
Victor
King Stephen
Outcome
Baldwin de Redvers submitted to King Stephen after a three-month siege when the garrison's water and wine supplies were exhausted.
The Battle

History & Significance

In 1136, during the early phase of the civil war known as the Anarchy, Rougemont Castle in Exeter was held against King Stephen by Baldwin de Redvers. The garrison mounted a determined resistance, but the siege ultimately lasted three months before the defenders were forced to submit. The fall of the castle came not through direct assault but through the exhaustion of the garrison's resources: the three wells within the fortification and large supplies of wine had all been consumed, leaving the defenders with no practical means of continuing their resistance.

Confirmed battlefield location
Buried history

During the siege, King Stephen constructed an earthen fortification at the site now known, erroneously, as Danes Castle, demonstrating the effort he was prepared to invest in reducing the holdout. Baldwin de Redvers and his garrison endured for three months before the complete exhaustion of both their water supply and their considerable stocks of wine compelled them to submit to the king.

Casualties & Losses

not recorded

Forces Involved

King Stephen's forces besieged Rougemont Castle, held by Baldwin de Redvers and his garrison.

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