The Battle of Edgehill, fought in Warwickshire on 23 October 1642, was the first major pitched battle of the English Civil War. King Charles I's Royalist army was marching towards London when it encountered the Parliamentarian forces of the Earl of Essex near Kineton. Prince Rupert's cavalry swept Parliament's horsemen from the field, but its pursuit left the Royalist infantry exposed to a determined counterattack. Amid cavalry charges, close-quarter infantry fighting and the dramatic loss and recovery of the Royal Standard, both armies suffered heavily without securing a decisive victory. This episode examines the political crisis that brought England to war, the movements that led the armies to Edgehill, the course of the battle and its consequences for the conflict that followed.
Visit our website: Compact Warfare
Find us on our social media sites:
#CompactWarfare #BattleOfEdgehill #EnglishCivilWar #BritishHistory #MilitaryHistory #KingCharlesI #PrinceRupert #HistoryPodcast
