Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the First English Civil War | |||||||
 Gunnislake New Bridge |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists |
 Parliamentarians |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Sir Richard Grenville Thomas Southcott |
Earl of Essex William Balfour |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~ 2000 | ~ 2500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 200 | 40 | ||||||
The Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge was an important fight during the First English Civil War. It happened on July 20, 1644. The battle took place at and around Gunnislake New Bridge. This bridge crosses the River Tamar, which separates Cornwall and Devon.
A War for Control
The English Civil War was a big conflict in England. It was fought between two main groups. One group supported King Charles I. They were called the Royalists. The other group supported the Parliament. They were known as the Parliamentarians.
During this war, the county of Cornwall was very loyal to the King. But the nearby county of Devon supported Parliament. This meant the River Tamar became a very important border. Both sides knew that controlling the bridges over the Tamar was key. If they wanted to attack the other county, or stop an attack, they needed these crossings. Gunnislake New Bridge was one of four main bridges over the river.
The Battle at the Bridge
The Parliamentarian army was led by Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex. They tried to push into Cornwall by crossing Gunnislake New Bridge. But they were met by the Royalist forces. These Royalist troops were led by Sir Richard Grenville. His soldiers were stationed nearby at Cotehele House and Harewood House, Calstock.
The battle was very tough and lasted all day. The Royalists fought hard. They stopped the Parliamentarians from moving further into Cornwall. The Royalists lost about 200 soldiers. Many of their men were also captured. The Parliamentarians lost fewer men, about 40 soldiers.
What Happened Next
After the battle, both armies stayed to defend their sides of the bridge. Lord Essex, the Parliamentarian leader, then traveled north. He went to Launceston. He left half of his troops to guard New Bridge. He then joined up with his other forces in the northern part of the Tamar Valley.
On July 26, Essex crossed the Tamar at a different spot called Horsebridge. This allowed him to get past the Royalist defenses. He continued deeper into Cornwall. This advance led to a much bigger battle. It was called the Battle of Lostwithiel. This battle was a huge defeat for the Parliamentarians.
See also
