Battle of Sourton Down
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Sourton Down took place on 25 April 1643, near Sourton, in Devon, during the First English Civil War. A Parliamentarian force under James Chudleigh defeated a Royalist army under Sir Ralph Hopton. Casualties on both sides were light, and the result had little impact on the strategic position in the West Country.
Hoping to surprise their opponents, the Royalist army undertook a night march on the Parliamentarian base in Okehampton. However, they in turn were ambushed by a small force of cavalry led by Chudleigh, and routed.
Hopton was forced to abandon most of his baggage and supplies, but won a decisive battle at Stratton three weeks later.
When the First English Civil War began in August 1642, Cornwall was generally more supportive of the Royalist cause, while Devon and Somerset were sympathetic towards Parliament, though significant opposition existed in both areas.
In July, Charles named the Marquess of Hertford commander in the west, with Sir Ralph Hopton as his deputy. They established headquarters at Wells, but threatened by a larger Parliamentarian army under the Earl of Bedford, retreated to Minehead. Hopton advised Hertford to take the infantry and artillery across the water to South Wales, while he and some 80 others joined Cornish Royalists near Truro. Overall command was split between Hopton and William Ashburnham, with Sir John Berkeley in charge of logistics. However, their small army consisted mostly of local trained bands, reluctant to serve outside Cornwall, or under non-Cornish "foreigners"; this meant prominent roles for three locals, Sir Bevil Grenville, Sir Nicholas Slanning, and John Trevanion.
Parliamentarian supporters in Devon also raised troops, initially commanded by the Earl of Pembroke. James Chudleigh, son of a Devon landowner, was authorised to levy "1,000 dragoons ... in Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall"; these were used to reinforce the garrison at Barnstaple in north Devon in December 1642. The Earl of Stamford was given command of Parliament's army in the West Country in January 1643, and appointed Chudleigh his deputy.
Victory at the Battle of Braddock Down in January 1643 secured Royalist control of Cornwall, and established Hopton as commander in the west. He wanted to attack Plymouth, but the city could easily be reinforced by sea, and the Cornish militia refused to cross the River Tamar into Devon. After some minor skirmishes, the two sides agreed a local truce in late February, allowing Hopton to retreat into Cornwall; this truce was greeted with incredulity by William Waller, Parliamentarian commander in the west, who argued it primarily benefited the Royalists.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Sourton Down lies on Holsworthy Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
- Royalists: 60 dead
- Parliamentarians: Minimal
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Sourton Down
This page covers Battle of Sourton Down. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Sourton Down
Battles near Battle of Sourton Down
Explore the landscape around this battlefield
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
- Battle of Sourton Down · Wikidata
- Battle_of_Sourton_Down · Wikipedia