Battle of Maidstone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Maidstone
Part of the Second English Civil War
Date 1 June 1648 Location Maidstone, Kent, England Result Parliamentarian victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Earl of Norwich	Sir Thomas Fairfax
Strength
2,000	4,000
Casualties and losses
800+	80

The Battle of Maidstone (June 1, 1648) was an important fight during the Second English Civil War. It was a big win for the Parliamentarian army, who attacked and defeated the Royalist forces defending the town. This battle was a key moment in the war, showing the strength of the Parliamentarian forces.

Why the Battle Happened

In May 1648, a large group of people who supported the King (called Royalists) started an uprising. They gathered in areas like Kent and Essex. In Kent, over 10,000 Royalist supporters met near Maidstone at Penenden Heath. Their leader was the Earl of Norwich.

These Royalist groups then spread out to control different towns for the King. These towns included Gravesend, Rochester, Dover, and Maidstone. This uprising, along with another one in South Wales, was a major part of the Second Civil War.

The main Parliamentarian army, called the New Model Army, had been split up. A big part of it, led by Cromwell, went to deal with the uprising in South Wales. This left Sir Thomas Fairfax with only about 6,000 soldiers. Fairfax decided to march on Maidstone with 4,000 of his experienced Parliamentarian troops. His goal was to take the town back from the Royalists, who had about 2,000 defenders inside. Many of the Royalists were not trained soldiers; they were regular people like citizens and sailors.

The Battle Begins

Contemporary Map of Kent showing Aylesford, Maidstone and East Farly (sic)

The battle took place on June 1st. Sir Thomas Fairfax was very clever in his attack. He first moved around the main Royalist army led by the Earl of Norwich, which was on Burham Heath. Then, he made a small fake attack towards Aylesford to trick the Royalists.

After these clever moves, Fairfax and his troops crossed the River Medway at East Farleigh Bridge. They faced almost no resistance there. The first small fights started on Penenden Heath. This spot was important because it was between two Royalist groups. One group was led by Sir William Brockman and the other by Sir John Mayney.

The Earl of Norwich, the Royalist leader, didn't realize how serious Fairfax's attack was until late in the afternoon. By then, Fairfax decided to use his advantage and storm the town of Maidstone itself that very day. He attacked from the south side.

Fighting in the Streets

The battle quickly turned into very tough fighting. It was raining heavily, and the soldiers fought street by street, "inch by inch." The Royalists had built barricades, and they defended each one fiercely. The fighting continued for the rest of the day.

The Royalists slowly had to retreat. They moved towards Gabriel's Hill, then down Week Street. Their last stand was in St Faith's Churchyard. Fairfax's troops finally broke through their strong resistance. They took control of the town just after midnight, during a big thunderstorm. Fairfax was surprised when about a thousand Royalists came out of St Faith's Chapel to surrender.

What Happened Next

After the battle, the Royalist prisoners were first held in All Saints Church. Even though they had fought bravely against a professional army, Fairfax allowed 1,300 Royalist men to go back to their homes after they surrendered.

Because Parliament won this battle, the remaining Royalist army, which was still quite large (about 6,000 men) on Burham Heath, started to break up. Most of them, led by the Earl of Norwich, retreated north. They hoped to gather their forces again and try to take London.

However, when they reached London, the city gates were closed. So, the rest of the Royalist army moved into Essex. Fairfax and his troops followed them closely. The retreating Royalists decided to make their stand in the Earl of Norwich's hometown of Colchester. On June 13, they were surrounded and besieged there. After about ten weeks of hardship and hunger, they finally surrendered in late August.

Historic Places and Items

Many places from the Battle of Maidstone can still be seen today.

• The narrow, old bridge at East Farleigh, built in the 14th century, is still used.
• Several buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries that saw the battle are still standing in Maidstone. For example, a building at No. 78 Bank Street is dated 1611.
• All Saints Church looks much like it did in 1648.
• The small Huguenot Chapel of St Faiths has been replaced by a Victorian church built in the late 1800s.

You can also see a special piece of clothing from the battle. The doublet (a type of jacket) that Fairfax wore during the battle is on display at Leeds Castle, which is near Maidstone.

Remembering the Battle

People still remember the Battle of Maidstone today.

• On June 1, 2008, members of The Sealed Knot, a group that re-enacts historical battles, performed the battle in the town center. This was to mark the battle's 360th anniversary.
• The Maidstone Wargames Society also created a small-scale re-enactment at Maidstone Museum for the occasion.
• To mark the 370th anniversary of the battle, The Battlefields Trust led a guided tour of the battle sites on June 3, 2018.
• There are two special plaques in Maidstone that remember the battle. One is on Bank Street, and the other is in Brenchley Gardens. The one in Brenchley Gardens was put up on the battle's 369th anniversary in 2017.