Following the defeat of the Royalist Horse at Rowton Heath, outside Chester on 24th September, 1645, the King and the remnants of his Army retired, via Bridgenorth, to Newark. However, the loyal city of Chester was very much in the King's thoughts and he was determined on its relief. To this end he ordered Sir William Vaughan, his general of Horse, to return to North Wales with his Brigade of Horse.

A letter from Lord Digby to Lord Byron, Governor of the now beleaguered City, written 5th October, 1645 states that "His Majesty is advanced as far as Newark and we hope it will have the wished result of drawing the rebels great body of horse from the Welsh side of Chester. As for any parties they may leave, his majesty will instantly send back Sir. W. Vaughan with strength enough to master them."

Obeying the King's summons, Vaughan concentrated on collecting forces from the various garrisons along the Welsh Marches until, by the middle of October, he felt himself strong enough to attempt the City's relief. Advancing from Ludlow, via Montgomeryshire, with 2-3,000 men in order to unite with the Foote being raised in North Wales, Vaughan ordered a general rendezvous on Denbigh Green. By 23rd October Vaughan arrived there himself. On the last day of October his forces had reached Denbigh, the castle and town being then held for the King by Col. William Salisbury.

Meanwhile, on the English Side of the Border, the Parliamentarian commander, Sir Wm. Brereton, had been made aware of Vaughan's movements. Accordingly, he dispatched Col. Michael Jones, with 1,500 Horse and Adjutant-General Lothian, with between 1,000 and 1,500 Foote, to scatter the Royalist muster. On October 30th, this force reached Mold marching the next day to Ruthin, where Vaughan had passed through only a short time ago. Here, Thomas Mytton, newly promoted Major-General, assumed command of the Parliamentarians. ON the following day Mytton marched down the road from Ruthin to Denbigh, apparently having taken Vaughan by surprise.

Denbigh

Denbigh Green, until enclosed by Act of Parliament in 1807, extended to the NOrth of the Castle, from Friary Fields as far as Trefnant on one side and the Forest of Lleweny on the other, encompassing an area of some four miles. The Green was a tract of flat, common land, the wide expanse of which was unbroken except for the quicksets (hedges) that bordered its narrow lanes; the square-towered Parish church of St. Marcella, known as Whitchurch, which stands in isolation about a mile from the Town; and the ruined Priory, consisting of several buildings with a few nearby trees, which stood at the foot of Denbigh's long, northern approach.

It was here, on the morning of Saturday, November 1st, 1645 that the entire Royalist force of 1,700 Horse and 400 Foote assembled in the vicinity of Whitchurch. The Dragoons and Musketeers lined the hedges which flanked the road from Ruthin, while the Horse assembled on the open ground to their left. there they waited until, about Noon, the enemy were seen advancing towards them.

The Parliamentarian's main body was preceded by a 'Forlorn Hope' of musketeers (40 men being drawn out of each Foote Regiment present), led by Captain Otter, senior officer of the reformadoes, and Captain William Edwards, a Cheshire officer. Supported by the advanced, forcing, after about an hour's hard fighting, the Royalist musketeers back from the hedges. Here they held them until the rest of the Parliamentarian Foote came up in support. The Royalist Foote then retreated into the Town, eventually taking refuge in the Castle.

The Parliamentarian Foote were gallantly seconded by the Warwick and Derbyshire Horse, commanded by Majors Sanders and Hawkesworth, who charged the Royalist Horse, driving them back but failing to break them. However, the main Parliamentarian body, consisting of the Reformadoes, the Cheshire Horse and 400 Lancashire Foote, were now marshalled, apparently on the advice of local adherent, on the open ground to the right of the lane. Their commanders had found that the straight, hedge-lined road was too difficult a route to advance along.

Main Battle

The main battle took place between Whitchurch and the foot of Castle HIll, in the vicinity of the Friary ruins. The disorganised Royalist Horse were rallied by Vaughan but he could not encourage them to stand when they were charged again, although a party of 'Arcall' Horse, seconded by part of Prince Maurice's Lifeguard, countercharged their pursuers. The Parliamentarian Horse attacked once more, this time utterly routing their opponents, chasing them for over 8 miles, doing much execution and taking many prisoners. It was estimated that over 100 were slain and 400 captured, many being men of 'quality.'

The victorious Parliamentarian troops occupied Denbigh, through Salisbury tenaciously held onto the Castle, continuing to do so until October 26, 1646. Vaughan, with his remaining Horse, about 900, fled through he mountains towards Llanrwat, while others made for Conway. Having achieved their objective breaking up the Royalist relief force, the parliamentarians did not stay long before Denbigh but returned to Chester to reinforce the besieger's laager there. The Fate of the City was sealed.

Sources

Phillips, J. R. An Account of the Castle & Town of Denbigh
Newcome, R. Memoirs of the Civil War in Wales & the Marches
Williams, J. Ancient and Modern Denbigh
Various articles in DENBIGHSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS.

Note

We are grateful to all our contributors but have to say a special thanks here to Peter, who has quickly got into the swing of things and sent in the above account after Stuart's first Terribly Obscure Battle. Though we run these series, the idea is to publish a run of similar material, rather than concentrate on the author. So if anyone else has battles, biographies or Regimental histories we will be glad to fit them in. Thanks also to Stuart who, in a short time and with little more information than the above article, manage to visualise the battle and draw one of his excellent and very popular maps. Peter's plan, clearly drawn and very informative, was of the traditional type, so don't be put off if you can't draw. (Big Editor)

Battle Map

Jumbo Map (slow: 144K)

Related:

Letter to Editor (#4)

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