Battle of Aldbourne Chase

Battle of Aldbourne Chase
Part of the First English Civil War
Date 18 September 1643 Location Aldbourne, Wiltshire 51°28′37″N 1°40′37″W / 51.477°N 1.677°W / 51.477; -1.677 Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Prince Rupert	Earl of Essex
Strength
3,000 horse[1]	5,000 foot[2] 2,000 horse[2] 15-20 cannons

Aldbourne

Cirencester

Swindon

Newbury

Hungerford

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Wiltshire County

The Battle of Aldbourne Chase was a relatively small battle of the First English Civil War that occurred on 18 September 1643. In the skirmish the Royalist cavalry led by Prince Rupert attacked the extended columns of the Parliamentarian army of the Earl of Essex at Aldbourne Chase, Wiltshire, as he was attempting to get his army to London.^[3]

The battle in and of itself was inconclusive, but it allowed the Royalists to get to Newbury ahead of Essex and ultimately forced the Parliamentarian army into a major confrontation.^[4]