Editing Battle of Roundway Down

{{Short description|1643 battle of the First English Civil War}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Battle of Roundway Down
| image       = Site of Battle of Roundway Down (geograph 57827).jpg
| image_size  = 
| caption     = Roundway Down
| partof      = [[First English Civil War]]
| date        = 13 July 1643{{sfn|Young|1953}}
| place       = near [[Devizes]], [[Wiltshire]]
| result      = Royalist victory
| coordinates = {{Coord|51.385|-1.980|region:GB-WIL_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}
| combatant2  = [[Roundhead|Parliamentarians]]
| combatant1  = [[Cavalier|Royalist]]s
| commander2  = [[William Waller|Sir William Waller]]<br />[[Arthur Haselrig|Sir Arthur Haselrig]]
| commander1  = [[Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester|Lord Wilmot]]<br />[[John Byron, 1st Baron Byron|Sir John Byron]]<br />[[Ludovic Lindsay, 16th Earl of Crawford|Earl of Crawford]]<br />[[Ralph Hopton|Lord Hopton]]
| strength2   = 2,500 horse{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}<br />{{circa}} 2,500 foot<br />8 guns
| strength1   = 1,800 horse{{sfn|Young|1953|p=127}}
| casualties2 = 600 killed{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}<br />1,200 captured
| casualties1 = Minimal{{sfn|Young|1953|p=135}}
}}
{{Campaignbox First English Civil War|state=collapsed}}

The '''Battle of Roundway Down''' was fought on 13 July 1643 at [[Roundway Down and Covert|Roundway Down]] near [[Devizes]], in [[Wiltshire]] during the [[First English Civil War]]. Despite being outnumbered and exhausted after riding overnight from [[Oxford]], a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] cavalry force under [[Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester|Lord Wilmot]] won a crushing victory over the [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] Army of the West under Sir [[William Waller]].

Viewed as their most decisive victory of the war, the Royalists secured control of [[South West England]] which they held until late 1645. Two weeks later they captured the port of [[Storming of Bristol|Bristol]], allowing them to establish links with supporters in [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]].

==Prelude==
After the hard fought [[Battle of Lansdown]], the Royalists withdrew from Lansdown to [[Marshfield, Gloucestershire|Marshfield]], hoping to obtain reinforcements and supplies from their wartime capital of [[Oxford]].{{sfnp|Plant, The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643}}{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|p=1}} They arrived in [[Chippenham]] on 7 July.{{sfnp|Plant, Lansdown Hill, Somerset, 5 July 1643}} Meanwhile, despite his retreat, Waller's army was largely intact after the battle and losses were quickly replaced by the Parliamentarian garrison in [[Bristol]]. Hopton's precarious position provided Waller an opportunity to crush him if he moved fast enough and Waller set out from [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] with 5,000 troops, reaching Chippenham on 9 July.{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=246}}

As the Parliamentarians approached, Hopton marched south to [[Devizes]], followed by Waller who occupied Roundway Down, high ground approximately 2 kilometres north of the town. Short of materials and outnumbered, the Royalists agreed that [[Maurice of the Palatinate|Prince Maurice]] and 300 cavalry would break out and race to Oxford for reinforcements, leaving Hopton and the 3,000 Cornish foot to hold Devizes.{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|Plant, The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643}}{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|p=1}} Departing at midnight on 10 July, Maurice reached Oxford next morning; most of the Royalist field army was absent but [[Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester|Lord Wilmot]] assembled 1,500 cavalry, then set out for Devizes with Maurice and his men.{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|Plant, The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643}}
{{Location map many | Wiltshire | relief=yes
| caption= Wiltshire and Roundway Down
| lat1_deg = 51.385| lon1_deg = -1.98| label1 = Roundway&nbsp;Down|pos1=right
| lat2_deg = 51.38| lon2_deg = -2.36| label2 = Bath
| lat3_deg = 51.074| lon3_deg = -1.793| label3 = Salisbury|pos3=left
| lat4_deg = 51.4585| lon4_deg = -2.1158| label4 = Chippenham|pos4=right
| lat5_deg = 51.353| lon5_deg = -1.994| label5 = Devizes|pos5=bottom
| lat6_deg = 51.462| lon6_deg = -2.317| label6 = Marshfield|pos6=top
}}

==Siege of Devizes==
On 11 July, Waller brought his army down from Roundway Down and deployed them on the east side of Devizes. To support an attack, he set up an artillery battery within range of the town on Coatefield Hill. Stalling for time, Hopton asked for and received a truce to allow time for negotiations. Overnight as the Parliamentarians waited for Hopton’s response, their cavalry intercepted and captured a Royalist convoy of gunpowder and ammunition that had previously been dispatched to resupply Hopton after the Battle at Lansdowne. Many of their escort escaped but 200 were captured along with the wagons.{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|Plant, The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643}}

On the morning of 12 July, Waller ended talks and began an assault, first bombarding the town with artillery before his infantry attacked the outworks and fortifications. Despite hours of fierce hand-to-hand combat, at the end of the day the Royalists remained in control of Devizes.{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|Plant, The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643}} Early next morning, Wilmot's relief force neared Roundway Down, and as they did so fired several cannon to warn Hopton of their approach.{{sfn|Young|1953|p=128}} Waller now abandoned the siege and marched his force north to intercept them; reaching the high ground, the infantry and artillery were placed in the centre, with Waller commanding the cavalry on the left and Sir [[Arthur Haselrig]] the right.{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|p=3}}

==Battle==
[[File:Access land west of the Mid Wilts Way near Heddington - geograph.org.uk - 1535578.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|The view from the scarp known as <br /> 'Oliver's Castle' into the 'Bloody Ditch']]

The Royalist cavalry was divided into three brigades; as well as being in overall command, Wilmot led the brigade on the left, with [[John Byron, 1st Baron Byron|Sir John Byron]] on the right, and the [[Ludovic Lindsay, 16th Earl of Crawford|Earl of Crawford]] in reserve.{{sfn|Young|1953|p=127}}{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|p=6}} Despite having ridden all night, Wilmot attacked immediately and caught Waller out of position, with Haselrig and his regiment of "[[London lobsters]]" in an exposed forward position. Haselrig tried to rally his men but withdrew when he saw Byron preparing to attack, and rejoined the rest of Waller's cavalry.{{sfn|Young|1953|p=127}}

As Waller advanced down the hill, Byron continued his attack supported by Wilmot and the Royalist reserve under Crawford; with their infantry unable to fire for fear of hitting their own men, the Parliamentarian cavalry were swept from the field. Pursued by the Royalists, some of them rode over the edge of a {{convert|300|ft|m}} steep precipice and into an area that became known as "the Bloody Ditch".{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|pp=6–7}}<ref name="devizesheritage">{{cite web |title=The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643 |url=http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/battle_of_roundway.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228224818/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/battle_of_roundway.html |archive-date=28 February 2012 |access-date=21 June 2024 |publisher=Devizes Heritage}}</ref>

Now isolated and with 3,000 Royalists from Devizes advancing against their rear, Waller ordered his infantry into defensive squares and began withdrawing towards the northwest. After approximately an hour, Byron’s cavalry returned from their pursuit and captured the Parliamentarian artillery which they turned on the retreating enemy, quickly causing them to break apart. Fleeing in all directions, many were cut down by Wilmot's men; Waller and the remnants of his cavalry escaped toward Bristol, leaving the remainder to surrender.{{sfnp|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|pp=7–8}}

==Aftermath==
The Parliamentarian army in the west was virtually wiped out, with losses estimated to be as many as 600 killed and 1,200 captured, along with their artillery, wagons, gunpowder, ammunition, and supplies.{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=247}} In his letter reporting the victory, Byron lists Royalist losses as "very few killed, but many hurt", although this applies only to officers and other "gentlemen".{{sfn|Young|1953|p=1235}} Arguably the most comprehensive Royalist victory of the war, it secured the south-west and less than two weeks later they captured the vital port of [[Storming of Bristol|Bristol]], allowing them to establish links with their supporters in [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]].{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=290}}

The battle was an outstanding victory for the Royalists; despite travelling over 60 kilometres directly onto the battlefield, 1,800 cavalry defeated a superior force of 5,000 including cavalry, infantry, and artillery. They were helped by the high quality of Wilmot's force, which contained some of the most experienced units in the Royalist army, and the "deplorable tactics" employed by Haselrig, who awaited Wilmot's charge at the halt, hoping their carbine fire would drive them off. This was a mistake commonly made by Parliamentarian cavalry leaders in the early stages of the war.{{sfn|Young|1953|pp=128–129}} Conversely, Waller’s reputation as a military leader suffered because of the loss, even though historians claim that his leadership at both Lansdowne and Roundway Down was without fault.{{sfnp|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995|p=9}}

The village of Roundway is today a small hamlet 2 kilometres north of Devizes with a population of approximately 25 residents. Discussions regarding permanent burial sites for those who lost their lives in the battle are under consideration today.{{sfn|Known Grave Sites and Potential Burial Places for those Killed at the Battle of Roundway Down on July 13th, 1643}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite web |title=The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643 |url=http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/battle_of_roundway.html |access-date=12 May 2012 |publisher=Devizes Heritage |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228224818/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/battle_of_roundway.html |archive-date=28 February 2012 |ref={{sfnref|The Battle of Roundway Down, Devizes July 13th, 1643}}}}
*{{cite web |title=English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643 |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/imported-docs/p-t/roundway.pdf |website=WaybackMachine |publisher=Internet Archive |access-date=5 August 2020 |date=1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214191336/http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/imported-docs/p-t/roundway.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-14 |ref={{sfnref|English Heritage Battlefield Report: Roundway Down 1643|1995}}}}
*{{cite web |title=Known Grave Sites and Potential Burial Places for those Killed at the Battle of Roundway Down on July 13th, 1643 |url=http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/burial_sites_at_the_battle_of_rd.html |website=Wayback Machine |publisher=Internet Archive |access-date=8 August 2020 |date=11 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811023435/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/burial_sites_at_the_battle_of_rd.html |archive-date=2010-08-11 |ref={{sfnref|Known Grave Sites and Potential Burial Places for those Killed at the Battle of Roundway Down on July 13th, 1643}}}}
*{{cite web |last1=Plant |first1=David |title=The Battle of Lansdown Hill, 1643 |url=http://bcw-project.org/military/english-civil-war/west-country/battle-of-lansdown |website=BCW Project |publisher=David Plant |access-date=4 August 2020 |date=1 December 2009 |ref={{sfnref|Plant, Lansdown Hill, Somerset, 5 July 1643}}}}
*{{cite web |last1=Plant |first1=David |title=The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643 |url=http://bcw-project.org/military/english-civil-war/west-country/roundway-down |website=BCW Project |publisher=David Plant |access-date=25 October 2017 |date=1 December 2009 |ref={{sfnref|Plant, The Battle of Roundway Down, 1643}}}}
*{{cite book |last=Royle |first=Trevor |year=2004 |edition=2006 |title=Civil War: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1638–1660 |publisher=Abacus |isbn=978-0-349-11564-1}}
*{{cite journal |last=Young |first=Peter |title=The Royalist Army at the Battle of Roundway Down 13 July 1643 |journal=Society for Army Historical Research |volume=31 |issue=127 |year=1953 |pages=127–131 |jstor=44228735}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1643-lansdown-roundway-bristol.htm 1643: Lansdown, Roundway Down and Bristol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821180311/http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1643-lansdown-roundway-bristol.htm |date=2006-08-21 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150304180203/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/olivers_castle_and_roundway_hill.html Devizes Heritage website with map of the area] Retrieved 2009-11-02

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roundway Down, Battle of}}
[[Category:1643 in England]]
[[Category:Battles of the English Civil Wars]]
[[Category:Military history of Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1643]]
[[Category:Registered historic battlefields in England]]
[[Category:17th century in Wiltshire]]