Key Facts
- Duration
- 11 days (14–27 April 1643)
- Parliamentarian force
- 19,000 troops
- Royalist garrison
- 3,000 troops
- Garrison commander (initial)
- Sir Arthur Aston
- Relief force commanders
- Charles I and Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 14 April 1643, the Earl of Essex advanced with 19,000 Parliamentarian troops and began bombarding Reading two days later. Sir Arthur Aston, the Royalist commander, was wounded during the siege and command passed to Richard Feilding. On 25 April, with supplies dwindling, Feilding requested a truce to negotiate surrender. A relief force led personally by Charles I and Prince Rupert arrived the next day, but Feilding honoured the truce rather than resume fighting.
01 / The Origins
Reading was garrisoned by Royalist forces in November 1642 as part of the broader struggle between King Charles I and Parliament during the First English Civil War. The town's position on the Thames made it strategically valuable, lying between the Parliamentarian-held south and the Royalist capital at Oxford. Control of Reading would influence dominance over the Thames Valley corridor and threaten Royalist supply lines.
03 / The Outcome
Essex's army repelled the Royalist relief force while the surrender terms were finalised on 26 April 1643. The following day, the Royalist garrison evacuated Reading and marched to Oxford. Parliament secured the town without a costly assault, gaining a significant foothold in the Thames Valley. Feilding was subsequently court-martialled by the Royalists for surrendering despite the arrival of the relief army.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex.
Side B
1 belligerent
Sir Arthur Aston, Richard Feilding, Charles I of England, Prince Rupert of the Rhine.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.