Battle of Stow on the Wold - 21 March 1646

If the battles of Naseby and Marston Moor were the decisive thrusts and Langport the mortal stroke, then Stow on the Wold would be the coup de grace. In the Spring of 1646, King Charles I was getting ever more desperate to hold the Royalist cause together whilst waiting for the long promised relief forces from Ireland, Scotland and France. Lord Jacob Astley took command of the Royalist forces in the west and began to gather up the remnants from the handful of Royalist garrisons still left in the west. As one could imagine at this point in the war, Royalist morale was pretty low. However, Astley, a stalwart of the Royalist commanders and an experienced soldier, was able to cobble together a force of 3,000.
Astley was trying to reach Oxford with his force when Parliament got wind of it. What ensued was a period of thrusting and parrying along the river Avon as Astley tried to evade certain defeat. Finally, Astley had no choice, but to stop and fight the harrying Roundhead forces of Colonel Thomas Morgan and Sir William Brereton. Astley chose a hill to the northwest of Stow on the Wold straddling the present day A424.
The Roundhead forces, who were slightly smaller, lined up to the northwest of Astley's position also along the current route of the A424. The Roundheads, flush with the confidence of an army on the brink of total victory, charged up the hill at the Royalist positions, near the present day Greenfield Farm. Initially, the Royalists held and even pushed the Parliamentary foot back. However, the Roundhead cavalry under Brereton rolled up the Royalist cavalry on the right flank. The Royalist cavalry fled the field and the infantry fought a running retreat southeasterly back to Stow square.
Finally, Astley sat down on an ancient cross monument in the square and declared, "You have done your work, boys, and may go play, unless you will fall out among yourselves." This was a fitting end to the last major battle of the First Civil War from the man who was most quoted at the first major battle. At Edgehill, Astley prayed, "Oh Lord, thou knowest how busy I must be this day, if I forget thee, do not thou forget me."

Rides, Routes and Waypoints

40-45 miles, depending on the options chosen. Take the A424 north out of Burford (Burford is on the A40 between Oxford and Cheltenham) towards Stow. Go through Stow and stay on the A424. The A424 splits the battlefield in half northwest of Stow. Turn right onto the lane to Donnington for a look at the battlefield from Roundhead lines back to the south towards Stow. Continue on Donnington Lane to the A429 and turn right to go back into Stow. Visit the town square where the surrender took place. Follow the A429 southwest out of Stow to Bourton on the Water to complete the Cotswold experience. There are hundreds of small lanes with beautiful scenery, pick one and lose yourself!
Use Ordnance Survey Landranger 163. The battlefield is centred on SP 191272. If using a road map, the battlefield is 20 miles east of Cheltenham.

The English Civil War was fought between 1642 to 1648 across England. Below are links to 12 battles in 10 English counties;

• King Charles Issues an Indictment against the Five Members of Parliament 3 January 1642
• King Charles I Flees London After Failing to Arrest the Five Members 10 January 1642
• Battle of Edgehill
• Sir Thomas Fairfax Defeats Sir William Saville and Takes Leeds 23 January 1643
• Battle of Chalgrove
• Battle of Lansdown Hill
• Battle of Roundway Down
• First Battle of Newbury
• Battle of Nantwich
• Battle of Cheriton
• Battle of Cropredy Bridge
• Battle of Marston Moor
• Cromwell Delivers at Battle of Naseby 14 June 1645
• Battle of Langport
• Battle of Stow on the Wold