  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
 |
 |
|
|
Back |
|
The Siege of Gloucester |
|
An Ancient Protected City |
|
Contemporary Opinions |
|
Siege Diaries |
The Siege of Gloucester |
Gloucester after the fall of Cirencester was one of the few parliamentary strongholds in the west. Its position cutting the overland route between royalist Wales and Cornwall made it an obvious target for the King.
The fall of Bristol in July of 1643 left only Gloucester as a bar to free royalist movement in the west. The King's armies had the upper hand against Parliament, and the king had a choice to make. Should he march on a demoralised and ill-defended London, or turn back to Gloucester?
The true reasons will never be known, but the king chose Gloucester, probably expecting an early surrender of the city. One allegation is that he did so because the considerable numbers of troops from Wales in his army demanded a safe route back home.
|
|
Between August 10th and September 5th, the largest field army in the English Civil War sat outside Gloucester, unsuccessfully trying to bring the city to its knees by a siege. When the siege was lifted by a relief force from London fewer than fifty inhabitants, but several thousand of the besiegers, had died. This was an error from which the king's cause would never recover. |
Gloucester Histories > Civil War > The Siege of Gloucester