Battle of Lostwithiel

The Battle of Lostwithiel took place over a 13-day period from 21 August to 2 September 1644, around the town of Lostwithiel and along the River Fowey valley in Cornwall during the First English Civil War. A Royalist army led by Charles I of England defeated a Parliamentarian force commanded by the Earl of Essex.

Battle of Lostwithiel
Part of the First English Civil War
Date21 August – 2 September 1644
Location
Near Lostwithiel in Cornwall
50.408°N 4.667°W / 50.408; -4.667
Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Royalists Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
  • Earl of Essex
  • William Balfour
  • Philip Skippon 
Strength
12,000 infantry
7,000 cavalry		 c.6,500 infantry
c.3,000 cavalry
Casualties and losses
c. 500 c. 700
c. 5,000 prisoners
Lostwithiel
Plymouth
Fowey
Cornwall and Lostwithiel

Although Essex and most of the cavalry escaped, between 5,000 and 6,000 Parliamentarian infantry were forced to surrender. Since the Royalists were unable to feed so many, they were given a pass back to their own territory, arriving in Southampton a month later having lost nearly half their number to disease and desertion.

Considered one of the worst defeats suffered by Parliament over the course of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, it secured South West England for the Royalists until early 1646.

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