Battle of Naseby Facts & Worksheets

• On the other side, the Royalist army set up their forces on lower ground opposite the Parliamentarians. This put them at a disadvantage because it was harder for them to see the Parliamentarian positions clearly, and made it easier for Parliament’s soldiers to launch downhill attacks.
• The open fields meant both armies had space for their cavalry to charge, which was important since both sides relied on horsemen. But the uneven ground and hedges also made it easy for fighting to become chaotic if formations broke apart.

The Battle

• On the morning of 14 June 1645, a thick fog covered the battlefield near Naseby. This made it hard for both armies to see each other. The Royalists first set up their army on a ridge between the villages of Little Oxendon and East Farndon, about 3 kilometres south of Market Harborough. 
• King Charles’s scoutmaster, Sir Francis Ruce, was sent to look for the Parliamentarian army, but he failed to find them, either because he was careless or unlucky. Prince Rupert himself rode forward and saw some Parliamentarian cavalry moving back. Thinking he could secure the higher ground on Naseby ridge, Rupert ordered the Royalist army to advance.
• Sir Thomas Fairfax at first planned to hold the strong position on the north side of Naseby ridge, but Oliver Cromwell thought it was too strong, and that the Royalists would refuse to attack. Cromwell suggested pulling back slightly to encourage the Royalists to advance instead. Fairfax agreed, and moved his army back to a better spot.
• When the Royalists reached Clipston village, they finally saw Fairfax’s army. At that point, it was too late to turn back without being attacked by Parliamentarian cavalry. Rupert then moved his army to the right, where the land looked more suitable for a cavalry attack, and both sides prepared for battle.
• The Royalist army formed a line about 2.5 kilometres long. On their right were 2,000 to 3,000 cavalry under Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice. The centre was made of three infantry brigades under Lord Astley, with support from Colonel Howard’s horse regiment. On the left were about 1,500 “Northern Horse” cavalry led by Sir Marmaduke Langdale. King Charles kept a small reserve of 800 infantry and his lifeguard of horse.
• The Parliamentarian army was drawn up about a kilometre north of Naseby village. On the left was Henry Ireton’s wing with five and a half regiments of cavalry. In the centre, under Sir Philip Skippon, were five infantry regiments in the front line and three more behind as support.
• Ahead of them were 300 musketeers as a “forlorn hope” to slow down any Royalist attack. Cromwell’s cavalry wing, with six and a half regiments, held the right. They also placed Colonel John Okey’s dragoons hidden in the Sulby Hedges on their far right, ready to fire on Rupert’s cavalry when they charged.
• As the fog lifted, the Royalist infantry in the centre began the attack. Rupert kept his cavalry back at first so the foot soldiers could hit together with the horsemen. Skippon’s Parliamentarian infantry moved forward over the ridge to meet them, and both sides fired a single musket volley before closing into hand-to-hand fighting with swords and musket butts. Skippon was badly wounded in the ribs but stayed on the field to stop panic among his soldiers. Even so, the Parliamentarian centre was pushed back and in danger of collapsing.
• On the Parliamentarian left, Ireton’s cavalry and Rupert’s cavalry charged each other. At first, Ireton’s regiment beat back their opponents. But when Ireton led his men to help the struggling infantry, they were counter-attacked by Royalist pikemen. Ireton was unhorsed, wounded in the leg and face, and captured. Meanwhile, the second line of Royalist cavalry broke most of the Parliamentarian horsemen on the left. Some fled as far as Northampton, 24 kilometres away. Rupert’s entire right wing chased the Parliamentarian horse off the battlefield, leaving no reserves behind.
• On the Parliamentarian right, Cromwell and Langdale’s Northern Horse faced off but held back at first, as neither side wanted to move and leave their flank exposed. After about half an hour, Langdale’s cavalry charged up a slope broken by bushes and rabbit holes. Cromwell’s men, who outnumbered them two-to-one, met the attack and quickly routed Langdale’s horse.
• Unlike Rupert, Cromwell kept half of his cavalry uncommitted. After driving Langdale’s men off, he sent only part of his wing in pursuit and used the rest to attack the left flank and rear of the Royalist infantry. Around the same time, Okey’s dragoons mounted their horses and charged out of the Sulby Hedges into the Royalist infantry, joined by some of Ireton’s cavalry that had rallied.
• Facing attacks from several sides, many Royalist soldiers dropped their weapons and surrendered, while others tried to retreat while still fighting. One regiment, known as Rupert’s “Bluecoats,” stood firm like a wall and repelled repeated attacks. Fairfax finally led his own horse and foot against them, breaking their resistance and even capturing their standard himself.
• During the battle, King Charles tried to lead his lifeguard cavalry into a counterattack, but the Earl of Carnwath grabbed his bridle and stopped him, fearing it would lead to the King’s death. When the King turned away, his lifeguard lost heart and retreated in disorder.
• Meanwhile, Rupert’s cavalry, far from the main fight, reached Naseby village and attacked the Parliamentarian baggage train. However, the escort refused to give up and drove Rupert’s men off. Rupert managed to gather his cavalry and return to the battlefield, but by then it was too late to save the Royalist infantry. His horsemen refused to charge again.
• Fairfax reorganised his army and advanced. Seeing this, the remaining Royalist cavalry withdrew. Fairfax’s soldiers chased the fleeing Royalists north towards Leicester. Archaeological finds suggest many Royalists tried to rally at Castle Yard, a hill with castle ruins about 2 kilometres behind their starting line, but were attacked again there. Some Royalists fled into the churchyard at Marston Trussell, mistaking it for the main road, and were trapped and killed. 

Aftermath and Impact of the Battle of Naseby

• After the Parliamentarian victory at Naseby, the Royalist army was shattered. King Charles I had lost almost all his experienced infantry, including around 500 officers, and his artillery and weapons were taken by the Parliamentarians. With so many of his best soldiers and equipment gone, the King no longer had the resources or trained men to build another army of similar strength. From this point on, the war turned firmly in favour of Parliament.
• Just a few days later, on 18 June 1645, Sir Thomas Fairfax retook the important town of Leicester, strengthening Parliament’s control of the Midlands. Fairfax then moved quickly to the southwest to relieve Taunton, which was under Royalist siege, and to take control of the Royalist-held West Country. The Parliamentarians pushed the Royalists back steadily, and eventually, the remaining Royalist forces in Cornwall surrendered at Truro. Important Royalist leaders like Lord Hopton, the Prince of Wales, Sir Edward Hyde, and Lord Capell fled from Falmouth to the island of Jersey to escape capture.
• King Charles tried to rebuild his army by gathering new recruits from Wales and the border counties. He also hoped reinforcements might arrive from Ireland, where a treaty with Irish Catholic rebels promised him extra troops. But Parliament’s Committee of Both Kingdoms acted quickly. They ordered the Scottish Covenanter army under Leven to march on the Royalist stronghold of Hereford to block the King’s plans. Although the first siege failed, Parliament’s forces captured Hereford later that year in a surprise attack.
• One of the most important outcomes of Naseby was the capture of the King’s personal baggage, which included a chest of private letters and documents, known as the King’s Cabinet. These papers revealed that Charles had been secretly negotiating with the Irish Catholic Confederation for troops and even seeking help from Catholic countries and the Pope. Worse still, they showed that his earlier offers to negotiate peace were insincere.
• Parliament printed these letters in a pamphlet called The King’s Cabinet Opened, which was spread widely across England. This publication shocked many people and destroyed much of the remaining support for the King. It convinced many who were unsure before that Charles could not be trusted, and that the war needed to continue until a clear victory was achieved.
• After Naseby, Charles fled first to Wales and then to the north of England, but with his main army gone, his chances of winning were almost zero. Even though the King tried to gather more forces, his troops were no longer able to match the New Model Army. Later in September 1645, Fairfax captured Bristol, another major blow to the Royalists.
• Although small groups of Royalist supporters kept fighting, the defeat at Naseby meant the King’s cause could no longer hope for a major comeback. The civil war dragged on, but within a year of the battle, Parliament had won the first civil war completely. The capture of the King’s letters and the destruction of his army at Naseby made it almost impossible for him to negotiate peace or regain control.
• In the long run, the battle marked the turning point that would lead to the capture of Charles, his trial, and eventually his execution. It paved the way for the end of the monarchy (for a time) and the start of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell.