Battle of Lansdown

Battle of Lansdowne

The battlefield today, with Sir Bevil Grenville's Monument, at the place where he fell

Date	5 July 1643
Location	Lansdown Hill, near Bath, Somerset
Result	Inconclusive Parliamentarian victory

Belligerents

Parliamentarians

Royalists

Commanders and leaders

Sir William Waller

Lord Hopton +

Sir Bevil Grenville †

Strength

2,500 horse
1,500 foot
unknown number of guns

2,000 horse
4,000 foot
300 dragoons
16 guns

Casualties and losses

20 killed
60 wounded

200 - 300 killed
600–700 wounded

Lord Hopton +

The English Civil War battle of Lansdowne (or Lansdown) was fought on 5 July 1643, near Bath, Somerset, southwest England. Although the Royalists under Lord Hopton forced the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller to retreat from their hilltop position, they suffered so many casualties themselves and were left so disordered and short of ammunition that an injured Hopton was forced to retire.

By late May 1643, Lord Hopton's royalist army had captured most of the south west of England. Joined by the Earl of Hertford, he then advanced eastward into Parliamentarian-held territory. Sir William Waller's army held Bath, to obstruct their further advance. On 2 July 1643 the Royalists seized the bridge at Bradford on Avon. On 3 July, skirmishes took place at Claverton and at Waller's positions south and east of Bath. Waller retired to a strong position on Lansdown Hill, northwest of Bath while the main Royalist force moved north through Batheaston to Marshfield.

Hopton's forces encountered this position on 4 July and were unpleasantly surprised at its strength. They withdrew 5 miles (8.0 km) north-east to Marshfield, while their rearguard repulsed an attempt by Waller's cavalry to pursue. Early on 5 July, Waller moved to the north end of Lansdown Hill, where he built crude breastworks for his infantry, and sent some of his cavalry against Hopton's outposts. They put to flight some badly-led Royalist cavalry, and the alarm caused all of Hopton's army to form up and to begin advancing west till they came in sight of Waller's position.

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Wikipedia