Battlefields›Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264

Medieval

Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264

Q: When did Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264 take place?

Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264 took place in 1264, in Gloucestershire, England. In February 1264, knights of Henry and Simon de Montfort seized the city of Gloucester by a ruse (disguised as Welsh wool traders) but the castle garrison closed its gates in time and held for the king. Prince Edward marched from Oxford, crossed the Severn by boat to relieve the castle, and besieged the barons' forces in the town. Henry de Montfort accepted a truce and withdrew, whereupon Edward reneged, arrested the city's officials and punished the town. The castle itself did not fall to the barons in this episode; it was only surrendered to the rebels later, in December 1264, when Roger de Clifford was persuaded by Gilbert de Clare and Simon de Montfort to give it up and go into exile in Ireland, without further fighting.

Q: Who won Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264?

Prince Edward (royalist forces) was victorious. The defeated side was Henry de Montfort's baronial forces. In February 1264, knights of Henry and Simon de Montfort seized the city of Gloucester by a ruse (disguised as Welsh wool traders) but the castle garrison closed its gates in time and held for the king. Prince Edward marched from Oxford, crossed the Severn by boat to relieve the castle, and besieged the barons' forces in the town. Henry de Montfort accepted a truce and withdrew, whereupon Edward reneged, arrested the city's officials and punished the town. The castle itself did not fall to the barons in this episode; it was only surrendered to the rebels later, in December 1264, when Roger de Clifford was persuaded by Gilbert de Clare and Simon de Montfort to give it up and go into exile in Ireland, without further fighting.

1264

Gloucestershire, England

Era

Medieval

Battle Type

Siege

Location

Gloucestershire, England

Status

Unregistered

The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated

Henry de Montfort's baronial forces

Victor

Prince Edward (royalist forces)

Outcome

In February 1264, knights of Henry and Simon de Montfort seized the city of Gloucester by a ruse (disguised as Welsh wool traders) but the castle garrison closed its gates in time and held for the king. Prince Edward marched from Oxford, crossed the Severn by boat to relieve the castle, and besieged the barons' forces in the town. Henry de Montfort accepted a truce and withdrew, whereupon Edward reneged, arrested the city's officials and punished the town. The castle itself did not fall to the barons in this episode; it was only surrendered to the rebels later, in December 1264, when Roger de Clifford was persuaded by Gilbert de Clare and Simon de Montfort to give it up and go into exile in Ireland, without further fighting.

The Battle

History & Significance

Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264 was a medieval siege, the investment of a fortified position, fought at Gloucestershire, England in 1264. Prince Edward (royalist forces) prevailed over Henry de Montfort's baronial forces. In February 1264, knights of Henry and Simon de Montfort seized the city of Gloucester by a ruse (disguised as Welsh wool traders) but the castle garrison closed its gates in time and held for the king. Prince Edward marched from Oxford, crossed the Severn by boat to relieve the castle, and besieged the barons' forces in the town. Henry de Montfort accepted a truce and withdrew, whereupon Edward reneged, arrested the city's officials and punished the town. The castle itself did not fall to the barons in this episode; it was only surrendered to the rebels later, in December 1264, when Roger de Clifford was persuaded by Gilbert de Clare and Simon de Montfort to give it up and go into exile in Ireland, without further fighting.

Confirmed battlefield location

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264 lies on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Roman Britain

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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

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Geology

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Local Names

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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Siege of Gloucester Castle 1264

Blackfriars

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Blackfriars is a Dominican friary located in Gloucester, founded in the thirteenth century as part of the wider expansion of mendicant orders across medieval England. The surviving structures include a substantial range of stone buildings, most notably a fourteenth-century choir and domestic rang…

Philafrenzy / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

Grey Friars' Church

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Grey Friars' Church is a medieval religious structure located in Gloucestershire, England, dating from the thirteenth century or later when it functioned as part of a Franciscan friary establishment. The church represents the architectural and spiritual legacy of the Franciscan order's presence i…

David Stowell / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Tower of St Michael's Church

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

St Michael's Church Tower in Gloucestershire is a medieval ecclesiastical structure that forms part of the parish church of St Michael. The tower dates from the medieval period and represents a significant example of local church architecture from that era. The structure survives as a substantial…

Jaggery / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Eastgate and stretch of city wall

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Eastgate and stretch of city wall is a Roman monument forming part of the defensive fortifications of the city of Gloucester, ancient Glevum. The structure dates from the late second century AD and represents a substantial section of the stone-built city wall that encircled the Roman settlement.…

Simon Burchell / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

St Mary's gateway

Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

St Mary's Gateway is a medieval gatehouse located in Gloucestershire, England. The structure dates to the late medieval period and formed part of the defensive or ceremonial architecture associated with an ecclesiastical or manorial complex. The gateway displays characteristic features of its era…

Julian P Guffogg / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Little Cloister

Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

Little Cloister is a medieval monastic enclosure located in Gloucestershire, England. The site represents the remains of a cloister garth associated with a religious community, with physical evidence of the characteristic quadrangular layout typical of enclosed monastic spaces. As a listed monume…

Rodw / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Glevum Roman colonia

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 miles

47 and 49 Eastgate Street

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles

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