The Battle of Marston Moor

The Battle of Marston Moor during the English Civil War was the largest battle ever fought on English soil and…

One of the largest battles ever fought on English soil took place in the evening of the 2nd July 1644 during the English Civil War.

Prince Rupert of the Rhine had only just relieved the siege on the Royalist (Cavalier) stronghold of York when he took up his position on Marston Moor against a combined force of around 22,000 Parliamentarians and Scottish Covenanters.

At 7pm the Parliamentarian (Roundhead) army launched a surprise attack and following a confused fight lasting just two hours, Parliamentarian cavalry under Oliver Cromwell routed Prince Rupert’s Royalist cavalry and decimated their infantry.

The battle confirmed how a well-equipped and trained army could win the war and established Cromwell’s reputation as a great commander. The Royalists effectively abandoned all control in the north of England.

Click here for a battlefield map.

Key Facts:

Date: 2nd July, 1644

War: English Civil War

Location: Long Marston, North Yorkshire

Belligerents: Royalists and Parliamentarians (including Scottish Covenanters)

Victors: Parliamentarians and Scottish Covenanters

Numbers: Royalists 17,000, Parliamentarians and Scottish Covenanters 22,000

Casualties: Royalists 5,000, Parliamentarians around 300.

Commanders: Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the Marquess of Newcastle (Royalists), Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester (Parliamentarians)

Location:

The Battle of Marston Moor

More Battles in the English Civil War:

Battle of Edgehill 23 October, 1642
Battle of Braddock Down 19 January, 1643
Battle of Hopton Heath 19 March, 1643
Battle of Stratton 16 May, 1643
Battle of Chalgrove Field 18 June, 1643
Battle of Adwalton Moor 30 June, 1643
Battle of Lansdowne 5 July, 1643
Battle of Roundway Down 13 July, 1643
Battle of Winceby 11 October, 1643
Battle of Nantwich 25 January, 1644
Battle of Cheriton 29 March, 1644
Battle of Cropredy Bridge 29 June, 1644
Battle of Marston Moor 2 July, 1644
Battle of Naseby 14 June, 1645
Battle of Langport 10 July 1645
Battle of Rowton Heath 24 September, 1645
Battle of Stow-on-the-Wold 21 March, 1646

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