The Civil War

The Battle of Winceby

The site of the Battle of Winceby
(Click to enlarge)

On 10th October 1643, the Eastern Association army and Fairfax's cavalry were besieging Bolingbroke Castle, one of the garrisons left by Lord Newcastle. Before the siege was properly under way, a cavalry skirmish at a Parliamentarian outpost near Horncastle gave warning of the approach of a Royalist relief column. The Royalist force was about eighty troops of horse and dragoons under the command of Sir William Widdrington and Sir John Henderson. The Earl of Manchester ordered an advance to meet the enemy, leaving a small detachment to maintain the siege of Bolingbroke. The Parliamentarian cavalry, under the command of Oliver Cromwell, rode ahead of the infantry and met with the Royalists at the village of Winceby, about three miles west of Bolingbroke. Cromwell's force consisted of around sixty troops of horse and dragoons.

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The Royalists and Parliamentarians drew up on opposing ridges above a small plain. The Parliamentarian horse were in three divisions commanded by Cromwell with Fairfax's cavalry in reserve in the rear and Colonel Vermuyden's dragoons in front. The Royalists used a similar formation, three cavalry divisions commanded by Sir John Henderson and Sir William Savile in front, and further divisions in reserve. 

The Royalists decided to mount an attack before the Parliamentary infantry could be deployed. The dragoons on both sides opened an exchange of musket fire. Cromwell led his divisions onto the plain. As they advanced towards the enemy lines, the Royalist dragoons fired two volleys, the second at point-blank range. A shot from this volley killed Cromwell's horse. Cromwell managed to rise to his feet, only to be knocked down again by Sir Ingram Hopton as the Royalist cavalry joined the mêleé. Hopton was himself struck down and killed. Cromwell mounted another horse and rejoined the action. The charge by Cromwell's troops drove back the Royalist horse, they became penned in a corner, unable to open a gate, at the boundary between Winceby and Scrafield. The Parliamentarian troops cut many of the Royalists to pieces. The lane is still known as Slash Lane (B1195 from the A158) Pursued by the Parliamentarians, almost the entire Royalist force was killed or captured; the survivors were scattered. 

The battle of WInceby lasted no more than half an hour.  Bolingbroke Castle surrendered to the Parliamentarians

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Lincoln and the Civil War

The Battle of Winceby on 11th October 1643 heralded the end of the Royalist control of Lincolnshire.  The Earl of Manchester, at the head of the parliamentary force arrived at Lincoln on 24th October and were posted at the top of Canwick Hill.  The next day, being Sunday, Manchester's force rested. 

At 3 o'clock Monday morning they came down the hill and rushed the Bargate, forcing an entry.  They then made a dash up the High Street and quickly captured the Castle.  They captured the Cathedral and stabled their horses there.  The Cathedral was ransacked.  

St Martins church was badly damaged by cannon fire, it lay in ruins until 1740 when it was rebuilt by public subscription.  St Peter at Eastgate church was dismantled and sacked by the Parliamentarians. The Cathedral also suffered badly:  many valuable artefacts were melted down, many of the statues were shattered, as can be seen by the large number of empty niches.  Monumental brasses were destroyed and many tombs were defaced.  The lead was stripped off the roof and narrowly escaped being demolished.

We are indebted to the then Mayor, Original Peart, a Parliamentarian, that the Cathedral wasn't destroyed, he met with Cromwell who agreed to halt the desecration of the Cathedral.