English Civil War earl of Essex would put himself in their way". Accordingly, the army left Shrewsbury on 12 October, gaining two days' start on the enemy, and moved south-east. This had the desired effect, as it forced Essex to move to intercept them. The first pitched battle of the war, fought at Edgehill on 23 October 1642, proved inconclusive, and both the Royalists and Parliamentarians claimed it as a victory. The second field action of the war, the stand-off at Turnham Green, saw Charles forced to withdraw to Oxford. This city would serve as his base for the remainder of the war.
Bristol in the English Civil War the defensive lines surrounding the city. It is further accepted that these defenses were inadequate and that their weakness was compounded by a serious shortage of ammunition. Despite these problems the Royalists breached the defenses by the chance of discovery of a weak point unknown to the defenders. Once the line was breached, the city was indefensible and the garrison commander, Nathaniel Fiennes, surrendered the city to save his troops and civilian populations; although this account was shown to be inaccurate shortly after the event, it has retained some credibility. The following are the major events in Bristol or events