The battle secured Parliamentary control of the River Severn crossing at Upton, enabling Cromwell to encircle Worcester before its decisive capture.
Key Facts
- Date
- 28 August 1651
- Location
- Upton-upon-Severn, 6 miles below Worcester
- Parliamentary commander
- Colonel John Lambert
- Royalist commander
- Major General Edward Massey
- Massey's fate
- Severely wounded in action
- Strategic result
- Parliamentary forces able to approach Worcester from the west
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Third English Civil War, Royalist forces held the River Severn crossing at Upton-upon-Severn to block Parliamentary access to Worcester from the west. Cromwell needed to secure this crossing to complete the encirclement of the city ahead of a planned assault.
On 28 August 1651, a New Model Army detachment under Colonel John Lambert launched a surprise attack on the Royalist defenders at Upton-upon-Severn. The Royalist commander Major General Edward Massey was severely wounded in the fighting, and the remaining Royalist troops were driven out of the town northward along the Worcester Road.
The Parliamentary seizure of the Upton crossing allowed Cromwell's forces to approach Worcester from the west, completing the investment of the city. This set the stage for the subsequent assault and capture of Worcester, which proved to be the decisive final engagement of the Third English Civil War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Colonel John Lambert.
Side B
1 belligerent
Major General Edward Massey.