A ferocious battle fought in Alton during the English Civil War,
provided a victory for Parliamentary forces under Sir William Waller
over the Royalist Forces of Lord Crawford. Waller was based in Farnham
whereas Crawford had his forces thinly deployed in Alton, Winchester
and southwards.
An initial raid by a unit of Parliamentary cavalry caused Crawford
to prepare defences and deploy scouts assuming an attack along the
Alton to Farnham Road. However, during the night of 12 December
1543, Sir William Waller led his 5,000 strong army west towards
Basing before turning south and then descending upon the town successfully
outflanking Crawford’s defences to launch a surprise attack
early in the following morning.
The first approach, supported by artillery, began with an assault
on Amery Hill Farm, from what are now Greenfields Estate and Flood
Meadows. This attack was initially held off but the Parliamentary
artillery continued to inflict casualties on the Royalist defenders.
A second assault was initiated along the other side of Flood Meadows
down Lenten Street into Market Square. Lord Crawford, who probably
had about 1500 troops in town, decided that his cavalry would be
vulnerable in the enclosed streets and despatched it to Winchester,
leaving Colonel Bolle with about 1,000 infantry to defend the town
until reinforcements could be deployed from Winchester.
The Parliamentary troops forced their way from Lenten Street, down
Market Street, Amery Street and the High Street with their colours
flying. Colonel Bolle organised a fighting withdrawal into the prepared
defences of St. Lawrence churchyard. The churchyard was fiercely
defended and by early afternoon it was soon filled with dead and
dying. Eventually under heavy musket fire the Southeast gate (off
Church Street) was breached. Whilst many Royalists were captured,
Colonel Bolle and about eighty of his cavaliers fell back into the
church itself, refusing to surrender. The fighting continued into
the late afternoon when the Parliamentarians broke into the church
but the carnage in such close quarters was terrible and at one stage
the Royalists were driven back onto their own pikemen. Fighting
stubbornly Colonel Bolle killed or wounded many of his assailants
but he was eventually slain and the remaining Royalists asked for
quarter.
The King acknowledged that with the death of Colonel Bolle he had
lost one of his most experienced field commanders. In addition some
800 Royalists, including 50 officers, were captured. There would
have been many of these prisoners who changed sides, as is the nature
of civil war, making the battle an even bigger loss to the Kings
Cause.
The battle marked the end of fighting for that year and left Parliament
in control of the Southeast of England and in a much stronger position
to recommence their campaign in 1644.
The English Civil War Society has re-enacted the Battle of Alton
on several occasions.
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