Battlefields›Siege of Farleigh Hungerford Castle
English Civil War

Siege of Farleigh Hungerford Castle

1645
Somerset, England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Somerset, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Colonel John Hungerford's garrison)
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Sir Edward Hungerford)
Outcome
Farleigh Hungerford Castle was captured by Royalist forces under Colonel John Hungerford in 1643; Parliamentary raids in 1644 failed to retake it; on 15 September 1645, as Parliamentary forces mopped up remaining Royalist garrisons in the south-west and reached the castle, Colonel Hungerford immediately surrendered on good terms without a fight, and Sir Edward Hungerford peacefully reinstalled himself in the undamaged castle, which escaped slighting unlike many other regional castles.
The Battle

History & Significance

Siege of Farleigh Hungerford Castle was a Civil War siege, the investment of a fortified position, fought at Somerset, England in 1645. Parliamentarians (Sir Edward Hungerford) prevailed over Royalists (Colonel John Hungerford's garrison). Farleigh Hungerford Castle was captured by Royalist forces under Colonel John Hungerford in 1643; Parliamentary raids in 1644 failed to retake it; on 15 September 1645, as Parliamentary forces mopped up remaining Royalist garrisons in the south-west and reached the castle, Colonel Hungerford immediately surrendered on good terms without a fight, and Sir Edward Hungerford peacefully reinstalled himself in the undamaged castle, which escaped slighting unlike many other regional castles.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Siege of Farleigh Hungerford Castle lies on Great Oolite Group, bedrock that formed in the Bathonian. The rock here is sandstone, limestone and argillaceous rocks.

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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
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Siege of Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Dovecote 220m north of St Philip and St James's Church
Dovecote 220m north of St Philip and St James's Church
Scheduled monument · ~1.1 mi

Dovecote 220m north of St Philip and St James's Church is a medieval stone dovecote located near the village of Evercreech in Somerset. The structure dates from the medieval period and represents a form of agricultural building that was associated with manorial estates, serving the practical func…

Derek Harper / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Scheduled monument · ~2.2 mi

Farleigh Hungerford Castle is a medieval fortified manor house located in Somerset, England, founded in the late fourteenth century by Sir Thomas Hungerford. The castle comprises an inner and outer ward enclosed by curtain walls and corner towers, with residential accommodation including a kitche…

nicksarebi / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
The Falconry, Farleigh Hungerford
The Falconry, Farleigh Hungerford
Scheduled monument · ~2.3 mi

The Falconry, Farleigh Hungerford, is a late medieval structure forming part of the castle complex at Farleigh Hungerford in Somerset. The building dates to the fifteenth century and reflects the domestic and recreational facilities maintained within the castle precinct, serving functions associa…

Burial chamber (remains of), Murtry Hill, Orchardleigh Park
Burial chamber (remains of), Murtry Hill, Orchardleigh Park
Scheduled monument · ~2.7 mi

Burial chamber (remains of), Murtry Hill, Orchardleigh Park is a Neolithic monument located in Somerset, England. The site consists of the surviving structural remains of a burial chamber, representing the funerary architecture of the Neolithic period. The monument is situated within the grounds…

Jim Champion / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Hinton Priory Carthusian charterhouse and associated water management features
Hinton Priory Carthusian charterhouse and associated water management features
Scheduled monument · ~2.8 mi

Hinton Priory is a Carthusian charterhouse founded in Somerset during the late thirteenth century, representing one of England's austere monastic communities dedicated to contemplative life under the strict Carthusian rule. The site reflects the characteristic spatial planning of a Carthusian mon…

Samuel Hieronymus Grimm / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Iford Bridge
Iford Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~2.9 mi

Iford Bridge is a medieval stone bridge located in Somerset, England, crossing the River Frome in the parish of Frome. The bridge dates from the medieval period and represents an important example of early stone bridge construction in the region. It exhibits the characteristic features of medieva…

Neosnaps / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Roman villa NW of Port Way
Scheduled monument · ~1.5 miles
The Devil's Bed and Bolster long barrow
Scheduled monument · ~2.1 miles
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Battles near Siege of Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Battle of River Frome 633
633
~0.9 miles away
Battle of Norton St Philip
1685
~1 miles away
Battle of Mons Badonicus
500
~4.5 miles away
Battle of Badon
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