Battle of Cropredy Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cropredy Bridge |
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| Part of the First English Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| King Charles | Sir William Waller | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5,000 horse 4,000 foot (only part engaged) |
5,000 horse 4,000 foot (only part engaged) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 700 11 guns captured |
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The Battle of Cropredy Bridge was a fight that happened on June 29, 1644. It took place near Banbury, in Oxfordshire, during the First English Civil War. In this battle, the army led by Sir William Waller, who fought for the Parliament, tried to capture King Charles. However, they did not succeed.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In early 1644, the King's side, called the Royalists, faced some tough times. They lost two important battles at Nantwich and Cheriton. Also, an army from Scotland joined the Parliamentarians. This Scottish army pushed the Royalists back to York, where they were surrounded in a siege.
King Charles held a special meeting with his military leaders in Oxford. Oxford was his main city during the war. They decided that the King would stay safe in Oxford. His nephew, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, who was a top Royalist general, would go north to help the army there.
The Armies on the Move
After Prince Rupert left, the King's plans changed. To get more soldiers for another battle, they decided to leave the fortress of Reading. This freed up 2,500 foot soldiers. But it also meant that the Parliamentarian armies could move closer to Oxford. These armies were led by the Earl of Essex and Sir William Waller.
On May 19, the Parliamentarian armies started marching towards Oxford. The Royalists had to leave Abingdon on May 25. The Earl of Essex took over Abingdon. He then crossed the River Thames to capture bridges north of Oxford. Meanwhile, Waller went south of Oxford to take a crossing over the Thames at Newbridge.
King Charles was in great danger of being trapped in Oxford. The city didn't have much food, so he might have to give up soon. On June 3, Charles pretended to attack Abingdon. This made Waller move back. Then, Charles marched west towards Worcester at night, mostly with his cavalry.
Essex and Waller chased him. But on June 7, the two Parliamentarian generals, who didn't like each other much, met. They agreed that Essex would go west to help another siege. Waller would follow the King.
This allowed the King to trick Waller again. Charles made it seem like he was going north. Then, he secretly moved his foot soldiers back south using boats on the Avon. He wanted to return to Oxford for more troops. Waller, who couldn't catch the King, went to Gloucester for supplies.
On June 24, Waller marched from Gloucester. He learned that the King was heading east from Oxford. Waller was ordered to chase him. By June 27, Waller reached Hanwell Castle. The King was only about 5 miles away. On June 28, the King moved to Banbury. He was ready to fight, but Waller was in a better position.
The Battle at Cropredy Bridge
On Saturday, June 29, King Charles's army marched north. They stayed on the east side of the River Cherwell. Waller's army moved along the other side of the river. The two armies were very close, only about a mile apart. They could see each other, but neither wanted to cross the river while the other side had cannons ready.
As they got close to Cropredy, King Charles ordered a small group of soldiers to take the bridge over the Cherwell. At this moment, he heard that 300 more horsemen were coming to join Waller's army. Charles told his army to hurry to cut off these new soldiers. Because of this, the Royalist army spread out.
The front part of the army had crossed a stream at Hay's Bridge. This left only a small group at the back. This group had two cavalry brigades led by the Earl of Cleveland and the young Earl of Northampton. They also had some foot soldiers.
Waller saw his chance. He sent Lieutenant General John Middleton across Cropredy Bridge. Middleton had two regiments of horse and nine companies of foot soldiers. His goal was to trap the Royalist soldiers at the back. Waller himself led 1,000 men across Slat Mill Ford, about a mile south of the bridge. He wanted to catch the Royalist rear from both sides.
The Royalist soldiers guarding Cropredy Bridge were quickly defeated. As Middleton's force rushed towards Hay's Bridge, they also spread out. At Hay's Bridge, Middleton's cavalry was stopped by Royalist musketeers. These musketeers had blocked the bridge with an overturned carriage. The Earl of Cleveland then attacked the Parliamentarian foot soldiers and cannons behind them. At the same time, Northampton's group charged downhill against Waller's men. They forced Waller's soldiers back across the Slat Mill Ford.
The King was told that his rear guard was fighting. He ordered his army to turn around. He also sent his own special cavalry, led by Lord Bernard Stewart, back across Hay's Bridge to help Cleveland. With their help, Cleveland attacked a second time. This forced Middleton back across Cropredy Bridge. Middleton's men had to leave behind eleven cannons. Waller's main cannon officer, Sir James Wemyss, was also captured.
The bridge itself was held by two Parliamentarian foot regiments. These were Colonel Ralph Weldon's Kentish Regiment and the Tower Hamlets Trained Bands. The Royalists tried to take the bridge back but were pushed away. Waller's remaining cannons kept firing from a high spot on Bourton Hill. This made the Royalists move back from the river.
What Happened Next
By evening, the two armies were still facing each other across the River Cherwell. King Charles used this quiet time to send his war secretary, Sir Edward Walker, to talk with Waller. Charles offered Waller a message of peace and forgiveness. But Waller replied that he was not allowed to make such deals.
Later, the King learned that more Parliamentarian soldiers were nearby. Also, the King's army was running low on food and supplies. So, the Royalists quietly left during the night. They took the cannons they had captured from Waller with them. The Royalists had lost very few soldiers. But Waller had lost 700 men. Many of his soldiers had simply left after the battle.
Waller's army soon became very discouraged. Many soldiers left or refused to fight because they were far from home. King Charles could then ignore Waller. He marched into the West Country to chase the Earl of Essex. This forced Essex's army to surrender at Lostwithiel.
Music About the Battle
The song Red and Gold by Ralph McTell tells the story of the battle. He wrote it for Fairport Convention. Their yearly music festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, happens near Cropredy. You can find different versions of this song by various artists.
