Battlefields›Parliamentarian Capture of Holt Bridge, 1643
English Civil War

Parliamentarian Capture of Holt Bridge, 1643

1643
Wrexham, Wales
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Wrexham, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians
Outcome
On 7-9 November 1643 Parliamentarian forces under Sir William Brereton and Sir Thomas Myddelton advanced from Nantwich and stormed the Dee crossing at Holt Bridge, scaling the gatehouse and lowering the drawbridge to seize the bridge. Most Royalist defenders fled, but some withdrew into Holt Castle, whose commander Colonel John Robinson of Gwersyllt refused to surrender; the castle itself was NOT captured in this action (contrary to the database's original title) and remained a Royalist garrison. Brereton left a detachment to continue besieging the castle while the main force advanced to occupy Wrexham. Holt Castle did not fall to Parliament until January 1647, after a nine-month siege, when Royalist governor Sir Richard Lloyd surrendered it to Thomas Mytton.
The Battle

History & Significance

Parliamentarian Capture of Holt Bridge, 1643 was a siege of the English Civil War period, fought in Wrexham, Wales in 1643. This engagement forms part of the broader pattern of conflict that shaped the political and military history of the UK during this era.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Parliamentarian Capture of Holt Bridge, 1643 lies on Warwickshire Group, bedrock that formed in the Early Permian. The rock here is siltstone and sandstone with subordinate mudstone.

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Monuments
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Civil War
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Geology
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Historical Maps
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Parliamentarian Capture of Holt Bridge, 1643

Wat's Dyke: Section W of Ty-Gwyn
Wat's Dyke: Section W of Ty-Gwyn
Scheduled monument · Early Medieval · ~0.4 mi

Wat's Dyke: Section W of Ty-Gwyn is an early medieval linear earthwork situated in Wales. This section of the broader dyke system sits upon bedrock of the Warwickshire Group, Early Permian siltstone and sandstone interspersed with mudstone, which would have influenced both the dyke's construction…

James Emmans / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Wat's Dyke: Garden Village Section
Wat's Dyke: Garden Village Section
Scheduled monument · Early Medieval · ~0.6 mi

Wat's Dyke: Garden Village Section is an early medieval linear earthwork in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw. The dyke forms part of a substantial earthen bank and ditch system that extends across the landscape, serving as a territorial boundary during the post-Roman period. The m…

Geoff Evans / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Bryn Alyn Round Barrow
Bryn Alyn Round Barrow
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~0.8 mi

Bryn Alyn Round Barrow is a prehistoric round barrow located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference DE059. The site occupies ground underlain by the Warwickshire Group, a geological formation of Early Permian age comprising siltstone and sandstone interspersed with…

Jeremy Bolwell / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham
Scheduled monument · Early Medieval · ~1.2 mi

Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of a much longer frontier work extending across the Welsh borderlands. The monument lies on bedrock comprising Warwickshire Group siltstone and sandstone with mudstone bands, typical of the Early Permian geo…

Jaggery / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Wat's Dyke: Section SSW of Wrexham Station, 130m Long
Wat's Dyke: Section SSW of Wrexham Station, 130m Long
Scheduled monument · Early Medieval · ~1.5 mi

Wat's Dyke is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of a substantial defensive frontier stretching across the Welsh-English borderlands. This section, located south-south-west of Wrexham Station, extends for approximately 130 metres and comprises an earthen bank with an accompanying…

Galatas / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Wrexham Churchyard Ornamental Wrought Iron Gates and Screen
Wrexham Churchyard Ornamental Wrought Iron Gates and Screen
Scheduled monument · Post Medieval/Modern · ~1.8 mi

Wrexham Churchyard Ornamental Wrought Iron Gates and Screen is a post-medieval and modern monument protected by Cadw as a Grade II listed structure. Located in Wrexham, Wales, the gates and screen represent fine craftsmanship in decorative ironwork characteristic of their period. The monument sta…

Row17 / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Bryn Alyn Camp
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~0.6 miles
Gatewen Hall round barrow
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~1.6 miles
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In the same landscape

Battles near Parliamentarian Capture of Holt Bridge, 1643

Battle of Dungan's Hill
1647
~1.6 miles away
Battle of Garth Maelog 722
722
~2.8 miles away
Battle of Holt Castle
1646
~4.6 miles away
Battle of Johnstown
1781
~4.8 miles away
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