Siege of High Ercall Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of High Ercall Hall
Part of The First English Civil War
Ercall Hall
Date First Siege February 1645 Second Siege March 1645 Third Siege July 1645 – 28 March 1646 Location High Ercall, Shropshire Result Parliamentarian victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Lord Newport Sir Vincent Corbet
Strength
200

The Siege of High Ercall Hall was an important event during the First English Civil War in England. It happened at High Ercall in Shropshire. During this time, a grand house called High Ercall Hall was attacked three times. Each time, soldiers loyal to the King (called Royalists) defended the Hall. Soldiers who supported Parliament (called Parliamentarians) tried to capture it. The last attack was the longest, lasting from July 1645 to March 1646. In the end, the Royalist soldiers had to give up the Hall to the Parliamentarians.

High Ercall Hall: A Stronghold

High Ercall Hall is located in the village of High Ercall. It was originally a strong manor house built way back in the 1200s. Later, in the 1600s, the Newport family owned the estate. They built a new, fancy mansion in 1608 right next to the older house.

Why High Ercall Hall Was Important

The Newport family were strong supporters of King Charles I. When the Civil War began, Richard, Lord Newport, decided to use High Ercall Hall as a base for the King's army. He placed about 200 soldiers there. To make the Hall even stronger, a large dirt wall was built. This wall was placed over the north and north-west parts of the old stone walls. It helped protect the soldiers inside from enemy cannons and muskets.

The Three Sieges

Between 1645 and 1646, Parliament's forces tried to capture High Ercall Hall three times. A "siege" means surrounding a place to cut off supplies and force those inside to surrender.

First Attack: February 1645

The first siege happened in February 1645. During this attack, the nearby church was damaged. The drawbridge of the Hall was also lost. However, the Parliamentarian soldiers eventually left, and the Royalists kept control of the Hall.

Second Attack: March 1645

The Parliamentarians tried again in March 1645. By this time, the Royalist soldiers inside the Hall had received more help and supplies. They were able to fight off the attack, and the Parliamentarians had to retreat once more.

Third and Final Attack: July 1645 – March 1646

The third siege started in July 1645 and was the most important one. This time, the Parliamentarian forces had powerful cannons. They were able to fire many shots at the Hall. Even though Lord Newport sent more soldiers to help, the Royalist commander, Sir Vincent Corbet, knew they couldn't hold out forever.

On March 28, 1646, Sir Vincent Corbet surrendered the Hall. This meant he agreed to give up the building to the Parliamentarians. There were 212 Royalist soldiers still alive. They were allowed to leave and go to Worcester, which was another city still held by the King's forces. Forty cavalry (horseback) soldiers were allowed to keep their weapons. But all the other soldiers had to leave their weapons and other supplies behind. The Parliamentarians found "a great plenty" of supplies inside the Hall.

After the Siege

The newer mansion, built in 1608, was badly damaged by the cannon fire. Today, only a small part of its old arched walkway remains in the garden of the older house. After High Ercall Hall fell, Ludlow Castle was the only place in Shropshire still controlled by the Royalists. But it also fell to Parliament in May of that same year.

See also

• Shropshire in the English Civil War