Battle of Cheriton 1644

List Entry Summary

This battlefield is registered within the Register of Historic Battlefields by English Heritage for its special historic interest.

Location

CHERITON

The battlefield may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

Legacy System Information

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Asset Groupings

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List entry Description

Summary of Battlefield

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Reasons for Designation

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History

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Details

BATTLE OF CHERITON 1644



The Civil Wars of the mid seventeenth century were a reflection of profound political, constitutional, religious and social conflict which was expressed in a struggle for control between King and Parliament.

The start of the 1644 campaigning season found the Royalist army of Sir Ralph Hopton attempting to bring the Parliamentarian force commanded by Sir William Waller to battle in Hampshire. Although Hopton could field only 6,000 men to Waller's 10,000, he made contact with the Parliamentarians at Cheriton on 29 March 1644.

Despite early successes during the battle, the Royalists lost the initiative and Hopton was forced to fall back on Alresford before retreating to Basing House. Waller, exploiting his success at Cheriton, gained control of Hampshire. To a very large extent the Royalist strategy in the West had been thrown into disarray and, in Clarendon's phase, Cheriton had 'altered the whole scheme of the King's counsels'.

The battle took place over open fields and woodlands with much the same character as the landscape of today. The deeply worn lanes, mostly now disused, were present at the time and the hedges along their sides formed important features in the battlefield in 1644.

AMENITY FEATURES Access along public rights of way in the area between Cheriton, Bramdean and Hinton Ampner is good, along green lanes, footpaths and the minor road from Cheriton to Alton. Many of the important battlefield features can be viewed from these paths, including a memorial plaque.

OTHER DESIGNATIONS The southern part of the battlefield lies within the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The remaining part will fall into a proposed Area of Special Landscape Quality.

KEY SOURCES Adair, J, 1973, Cheriton 1644: the campaign and the battle Burne, A H, 1950, The battlefields of England

Selected Sources

Websites
Historic England Battlefield Report, accessed 11-JUN-2015 from https://content.HistoricEngland.org.uk/content/docs/battlefields/cheriton.pdf

National Grid Reference: SU 59775 29360

Map

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