Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge
50°31′43″N 4°12′43″W / 50.52861°N 4.21194°W / 50.52861; -4.21194
Thomas Southcott
William Balfour
- v
- t
- e
- 1st Hull
- Marshall's Elm
- Portsmouth
- Plymouth
- Babylon Hill
- Powick Bridge
- Kings Norton
- Edgehill
- Aylesbury
- Brentford
- Turnham Green
- Farnham Castle
- Piercebridge
- Tadcaster
- 1st Exeter
- Muster Green
- 1st Bradford
- Chichester
1643
- Braddock Down
- Leeds
- 1st Middlewich
- Hopton Heath
- Seacroft Moor
- Camp Hill
- Lichfield
- Ripple Field
- Reading
- Sourton Down
- 1st Wardour Castle
- Stratton
- Wakefield
- 1st Worcester
- Chalgrove Field
- Adwalton Moor
- 2nd Bradford
- Burton Bridge
- Lansdowne
- Roundway Down
- 1st Bristol
- Gainsborough
- Gloucester
- 2nd Hull
- Aldbourne Chase
- 1st Newbury
- Winceby
- Olney Bridge
- 1st Basing House
- Heptonstall
- 2nd Wardour Castle
- Alton
- Bramber Bridge
- Arundel
- 2nd Middlewich
1644
- Nantwich
- Newcastle
- 1st Lathom House
- Newark
- Boldon Hill
- Stourbridge Heath
- Cheriton
- Selby
- Lyme Regis
- York
- Lincoln
- 1st Oxford
- Bolton
- 2nd Basing House
- Tipton Green
- Oswestry
- Cropredy Bridge
- Marston Moor
- Gunnislake New Bridge
- Ormskirk
- Lostwithiel
- Tippermuir
- 1st Aberdeen
- Montgomery Castle
- 1st Chester
- 1st Taunton
- Carlisle
- 2nd Newbury
1645
- Inverlochy
- High Ercall Hall
- Weymouth
- Scarborough Castle
- 2nd Taunton
- Auldearn
- 3rd Taunton
- 2nd Oxford
- Leicester
- Naseby
- Alford
- 2nd Lathom House
- Langport
- Hereford
- Kilsyth
- 2nd Bristol
- Philiphaugh
- 2nd Chester
- Rowton Heath
- Sherburn in Elmet
- 3rd Basing House
- Annan Moor
- Denbigh Green
- Shelford House
- Newark
1646
- Bovey Heath
- Torrington
- Stow-on-the-Wold
- 3rd Oxford
- 2nd Aberdeen
- Lagganmore
- 2nd Worcester
The Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge took place on 20 July 1644 on and around Gunnislake New Bridge, a bridge over the River Tamar between Cornwall and Devon, during the First English Civil War.
Background
During the Civil War the county of Cornwall was entirely loyal to King Charles I and the Royalist cause. However, Devon was Parliamentarian, making the River Tamar the site of many battles. Each side understood that if they were to either invade the other county or defend against invasion, they had to have control of the Tamar's crossings. Gunnislake New Bridge was one of four bridges crossing the River Tamar.[1]
Battle
The Parliamentarian forces, headed by Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, pushed into Cornwall over the bridge. They were met by Richard Grenville's forces, who were quartered at the garrisons of Cotehele House and Harewood House, Calstock. The battle was hard fought and lasted all day. The Royalists prevented the Parliamentarians from advancing further into Cornwall, at a cost of 200 casualties and many taken prisoner. The Parliamentarians lost about 40 men.[2][3][4]
Aftermath
After the battle both sides continued to defend their ends of the bridge. Lord Essex travelled north to Launceston, leaving half of his troops defending New Bridge. He then regrouped with his other forces based in the northern half of the Tamar Valley. On the 26th of July Essex crossed the Tamar at Horsebridge, penetrating the Royalist defences and continuing into the heart of Cornwall. This advance culminated in the Battle of Lostwithiel, a disastrous defeat for the Parliamentarians.
See also
References
External links
- Calstock Online Parish Clerk
- Calstock History
- Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Calstock
- Calstock Parish Church History, Rev Gordon Ruming