Monument record 289/1 - Battle of Nantwich

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ65 SW 26 (Index). SCH2487.

Civil War battle of Nantwich 24th (see 3) or 25th (see 2) of January 1644. Royalist forces under Lord Byron were besieging Nantwich with troops both sides of the frozen River Weaver (see SJ65 SE12 for earthworks). Upon news of the approach of Parliamentarian forces under Fairfax, Byron began to assemble his divided army. However, when the Parliamentarians arrived from Hurleston early the next day, having avoided Royalist entrenchments at Acton Church (SJ63185309), Byron’s forces were divided, some being stranded to the east of the thawing and now flooded river. The battle took place in enclosed fields where the cavalry was nearly useless. The Royalist infantry outnumbered and attacked in the rear by the town’s garrison, surrendered almost to a man, while Byron made off with his cavalry to the safety of Chester. Dore suggests (see 3) that instead of one large engagement, there were two isolated combats adjacent to each other on the same field (the main centre of the battle was at SJ638532, see illustration). [DJG 02/02/1981]

<2> Unknown, 1961-9, The Cheshire Round, no.8 p.270-4 (RN Dore) (Journal/Periodical). SCH871.

<3> Wedgewod C V, 1958, The King's War 1641-1647, p.271-2 (Book). SCH3195.

<4> English Heritage, English Heritage Battlefields Register, 1000022 (Report). SCH4375.

In January 1644 the Royalists had captured almost all of Cheshire and were intent on securing the North-west. The Parliamentarian garrison at Nantwich held out under siege. Anxious to save the town, Sir Thomas Fairfax led a relieving force of 5,000 men intending to join the garrison and break the siege.

Lord John Byron, heading the 3,500-strong Royalist army, intercepted the Parliamentarians near Acton. In a hectic two-hour battle the Parliamentarians, with the help of the garrison from Nantwich, overcame the Royalists, captured their artillery and ammunition, and took many of their senior figures prisoner.

The Royalist defeat ended the prospect of securing the North-west for the King. At the same time, it enhanced the military reputation of Sir Thomas Fairfax and made him an obvious choice as commander in chief of the New Model Army a year later

<5> Dore R N, 1966, The Civil Wars in Cheshire, p.35-9 (Book). SCH3108.

<6> Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust, 2019, Reaseheath Cabling Works, Nantwich, Cheshire: Archaeological Mitigation, R4416 (Client Report). SCH8854.

A metal detecting survey was undertaken in 2019 in connection with the replacement of two overhead powerlines with underground cables at Reaseheath, north-west of Nantwich in Cheshire. The scheme lay partly within the registered area of the Civil War Battle of Nantwich. This revealed two objects likely to be associated with the Civil War battle, an impacted lead pistol shot and a double-loop buckle, although a clay pipe bowl and a worn coin may also be contemporary. The report also contains a description of the battle with the information largely taken from the Battlefields of Britain website.