Highnam and Ripple Field, March-April 1643
In February 1643, after his successful campaigning in southern England during 1642, Sir William Waller was appointed commander of Parliament's Western Association army, formed to co-ordinate activity in Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
In mid-March 1643, Waller occupied Bristol after making a series of rapid night marches from London. On 21 March, he captured Malmesbury in Wiltshire. Waller's presence in the region threatened the route between Oxford and south Wales — a vital recruiting-ground for the King. The Royalist Lord Herbert had already raised a force of 2,000 Welshmen and was preparing to besiege Gloucester. Waller joined forces with Colonel Massey, the Parliamentarian governor of Gloucester, and on 24 March launched a surprise attack on the yet untrained Welsh army, which was quartered at Highnam near Gloucester. At least half of the Welsh Royalists surrendered on the spot. Those that broke out were pursued and slaughtered.
Having secured Gloucester, Waller intended to take his army into Devon and Cornwall to join forces with the Earl of Stamford. However, Stamford had negotiated a temporary truce with the Royalist commander Sir Ralph Hopton which Waller considered ill-judged and which frustrated his plans. He decided to advance towards the Welsh border instead, and captured Ross-on-Wye, Monmouth and Chepstow during March and April 1643. Meanwhile, Prince Maurice was sent from Oxford to counter Waller. Maurice crossed the River Severn by building a bridge of boats near Tewkesbury and deployed his troops in a wide cordon, hoping to cut Waller off from the Parliamentarian stronghold of Gloucester. Waller learned of Maurice's advance and fell back. He sent his infantry, artillery and baggage across the Severn at Aust and advanced to attack Maurice with his cavalry and dragoons. Waller broke through the Royalist lines at Little Dean on 11 April and succeeded in making his way back to Gloucester.
The following day, Massey marched north from Gloucester to seize Tewkesbury and destroy the Royalist bridge of boats. Waller and his cavalry joined him at Tewkesbury that evening. Waller intended to seize Upton Bridge six miles north-west of Tewkesbury, which at the time was the only bridge over the Severn below Worcester. However, his troops were too tired to march any further and they did not set out until the next morning. Meanwhile, Prince Maurice realised that the bridge of boats at Tewkesbury was gone and hurried to secure Upton Bridge himself before Waller could cut him off on the western side of the Severn. On 13 April, Maurice crossed Upton Bridge and advanced southwards down the east bank of the Severn while Waller and Massey advanced northwards. The two armies met near the village of Ripple, three and a half miles north of Tewkesbury.
Waller's forces occupied the ridge of Old Nan's Hill from where they had a clear view of the Royalists drawn up in three divisions on the plain of Ripple Field below. Both armies had about 2,000 men, but Waller's force was nearly all cavalry with only one company of infantry. After an initial Parliamentarian cavalry attack was repulsed, Waller decided to withdraw down a lane and back into Ripple village. Dragoons were sent forward to hold off the Royalists on Ripple Field while musketeers were deployed in hedges to cover the entrance to the lane as the cavalry fell back. Parliamentarian artillery opened fire as the Royalists cautiously advanced. Realising that Waller was withdrawing, Prince Maurice seized the opportunity to attack. The Parliamentarian dragoons were driven back and collided with their own musketeers at the entrance to the lane. A second column of cavalry came sweeping over the ridge of the hill from the west, having worked its way round for a flank attack. While Colonel Massey sent an urgent order for reinforcements from Tewkesbury, Sir Arthur Haselrig led his cuirassiers in a charge, hoping to stall the Royalist attack and rally the Parliamentarians. However, Haselrig was driven back and the entire Parliamentarian force routed. The Royalists pursued them for three miles towards Tewkesbury until they were met by Massey's reinforcements. The Royalist attack was checked and driven back by heavy musket fire as the remnants of Waller's army retreated into Tewkesbury.
Two weeks after his defeat at Ripple Field, Waller advanced to Hereford, but his forces were insufficient to hold on to it and he withdrew to Gloucester. Prince Maurice's victory had effectively ended Waller's threat to Royalist Wales.
Lansdown, Roundway Down and the storming of Bristol >
References:
A.H. Burne & P. Young, The Great Civil War, a military history, 1959
S.R. Gardiner, History of the Great Civil War vol. i, 1888
Peter Gaunt, The Cromwellian Gazetteer, 1987