Tuesday 30 July 2024

English Civil War - Escalation at Wendle Plain - Battle Report

Time for big hats, flouncy shirts, appalling trousers and the world turn'd upside down!

Table layout and intial deployments.



Parliament supply camp and limbers 


Royalist advance party begins moving in


Met by some solid Parliament guns



Both sides advance to begin airing their disagreements



Royalists begin to march out of Wendle, towards the fighting



Central fight in the table


First brigade of Parliament arrives



All begins heating up across the entire line as more troops arrive.




Solid defence of the town is established by the Crown




Gah, the dreaded Royalist mortar. Damnable thing had a solid aim!


Newcastle advances up to the hedgerows



Good solid line of the Royalists pike holding the centre firm.........


..........although watching their allies get hammered in the centre and forced to fall back.


Ha, the Royalist mortar goes up in smoke and ruin!


Parliament makes a strong attack on one side.


But find the centre still solidly held by Royalists.



Fairfax confers/abuses/persuades his brigades into advancing on the far left of the Parliament line. They are supposed to advancing in force on the town, not discussing local goodwyfes and prayer books!


Centre continues to exchange fire - its all on who gets the break, here.


That parliamentary artillery could be the decider here, mind.




Prince Rupert arrives, finally, before blundering and exiting again from a different side of the table. Thanks for making a show, lads.




Wendle Town still solidly held.  Some cavalry will fix that!


Said cavalry FINALLY arrives for Parliament.


Just in time, Rupert turns up after being unable to find the baggage, and gets stuck straight in.


Parliaments left flank advances on the town, now the cavalry is in support.


A rather threatening Royalist central defence. Too late for flowers and apologies now, Gentlemen!


A second brigade of Lobsters forces the Royalist centre into defence formations. This could be the break.



Royalist left flank continues the advance, as the cavalry continues battering one another.


Strong advance on the centre now, with Parliament being dominant.



The very DEVIL observes the table from above.


Parliamentary cavalry begins forcing the issue in the centre and pushing the Royalist line back




Cavaliers vs Roundheads still exchanging choice vocab
 on the other side of the table. Classic! 


However, Parliament gets the advantage and turns things.


Cue a solid advance upon the town


Royalists begin to give ground in the centre, past the burning mortar.


That cavalry is in choice position to force the withdrawal........


SEE in the bottom right hand corner. A rare glimpse of the other brigade of Royalist cavalry, who may as well have dismounted and walked into the battle, for all the impact and advance they made! Bloody gymkhana.


...........and its all over as they pour through the hole in the line.




Parliament win. A good solid one, too. No major mistakes on either side (Ruperts on table/off table antics being an exception and highlight. Didn't he have enough cash without needing to go for the baggage so urgently?), so a proper stand up fight.

ECW is always a good one, it really is.