Battlefields in Devon - Battle of Chagford, 8th February 1643.

The Battle of Chagford was a classic skirmish action between opposing horse, wielding similar pistols, that would cause the death of Sir Sydney Godolphin amid the village streets of this lovely Devon village.
Cromwell's Ironsides charge Prince Rupert's Horse, 1644 - Graham Turner.

 

It's been a few years since I posted on a battlefield visit in my own home county of Devon, but this opportunity to post about the Battle of Chagford came about due to an aborted hot-air balloon flight Carolyn and I were due to make earlier this month, and always aware of potential places to visit on the excuse of fitting in a pub-lunch we found ourselves sitting in the Three Crowns Hotel, that just happened to be at the centre of this fierce little cavalry skirmish fought in February of 1643.

The village of 'Chagforde' lies on the eastern edge of Dartmoor as seen in this period map, and over which we should have been flying in a hot-air balloon this month, our flight postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

It was in fact July 2021 that I last did a Devon Battlefield post covering a visit to Slapton Sands and Start Point, link below.

JJ's Wargames: Start Point, Hallsands and Slapton Sands

For this expedition I turned to my little tome that often sits in the glovebox of our car, 'Battlefield Walks Devon' by Rupert Mathews which contains walking routes for eighteen battle sites of which about ten have been covered here on the blog, with Chagford completing the eleventh, and with all the other visits labelled 'Battlefields in Devon' in the sidebar.

The Battle of Edgehill fought on the 23rd October 1642, was the first major engagement of the English Civil War and it ended indecisively, preventing a quick victory for either side, and bringing matters to a head between the English Parliament and King Charles I, adamant that he ruled absolutely by the divine right of kings; and the battle demonstrating to both sides that the evolving nature of warfare, transitioning from medieval shock tactics to the use of firearms and artillery set the stage for a protracted civil war between Royalists (Cavaliers) and Parliamentarians (Roundheads), with control of London and strategic towns remaining crucial throughout the conflict.

I visited the battlefield of Edgehill back in 2017, link below.
JJ's Wargames: Battle of Edgehill 1642

In the wider country both sides sought to enforce their grip on local administrations, as control of local councils ensured that taxation from that town or county flowed to whichever side had secured that control.

The guide map from 'Battlefield Walks Devon' shows the
layout of the village and key points of interest.

Whilst the County of Devon declared for the King, some of the small mercantile and industrial towns and villages, particularly Plymouth, preferred the Parliamentarian cause, with Chagford one such village, garrisoned by a small troop of Parliamentary horse, to secure it against Royalist forces mustering in Devon.

The typical old Devon cottages that make up the centre of Chagford, seen here along the narrow Low Street, leading up to the village square, and along which the Royalist horse attacked.

Colonel Northcote and his officers took lodgings in Whyddon House, now the Three Crowns Hotel, whilst the men were billeted in the houses of the village.

One of the finest churches on Dartmoor, St Michael the Archangel, Chagford is undoubtedly little changed from February 1643 when battle raged among the surrounding streets.

Sir Ralph Hopton, the Royalist commander in Devon ordered Colonel Berkeley with a troop of horse and another of dragoons to attack Chagford and capture it.

The view from the church to the east of the village towards the countryside through which the Royalist horse made their attack on the morning of 8th February 1643.

The Parliamentarians were not caught completely by surprise that morning, as the garrison was alerted to the attack by pickets placed at the eastern end of Low Street causing the sleepy garrison to be on the streets when the Royalists came clattering into the village square.

The Market Square is today dominated by this small Council office and shops, but this building was absent during the battle as the square was open for market traders to set up their stalls, and it was here where the fierce fighting took place.

It was in Market Square that the main fighting took place, where a savage street fight erupted between the opposing sides.

The stone porch of the former Whyddon House, now the Three Crowns Hotel.

Led by the dashing Sir Sydney Godolphin, MP for Helston, and famed poet, one squad of Royalist horse made straight for Whyddon House to attack the Parliamentary commanders who, by the time Godolphin and his men arrived, were emerging from the house, leading to a brisk fight around the ornate stone porch of the building.

Godolphin received a pistol bullet in the thigh that severed the main artery, causing him to collapse against the stone walls of the porch.

Redoubling their efforts, the Royalists forced their way into the house, though not before Northcote and several of his men had escaped by scrambling out the back. with most of them getting away and scattering among the hills on the edge of Dartmoor, before regrouping and heading east towards more friendly territory.

The village carpark with Meldon Hill in the background, on the edge of Dartmoor, and over which I suspect many of the Parliamentary garrison evaded capture as they fled the village.

Chagford was secured for the King without much enthusiasm by the locals, but the unfortunate Godolphin lay dying from his wound, made comfortable in Whyddon House, before succumbing and being buried two days later in the chancel of All Saints Church in Okehampton on the 10th February 1643.

In memorial of his gallant passing the poet Clinton Scollard penned the following tribute, part of which read;

They rode from the camp at morn

With clash of sword and spur.

The birds were loud in the thorn,

The sky was an azure blur.

A gallant show they made

That warm noontide of the year,

Led on by a dashing blade,

By the poet-cavalier.

Time moves on and the ancient property evolved into a charming old world inn, its solid granite walls, splendid mullioned windows, massive oak beams and huge fireplace being complemented by, of course, a resident ghost, said to be the sombre shade of the tragic Sidney Godolphin.

The former Whyddon House, now the Three Crowns Hotel in which Colonel Northcote and his officers were billeted when the Royalist attack commenced, and where Carolyn and I enjoyed a splendid lunch.

He wanders the hotel's cosy interior resplendent in full Cavalier dress and sporting a handsome plumed hat, making fleeting appearances, occasionally startling witnesses by suddenly manifesting in front of them and fixing them with a sad stare.

I can highly recommend a visit to beautiful Chagford if the opportunity arises, providing easy access for walks on Dartmoor, and the Three Crowns adding a bit of historical interests as well as local accommodation, bar and restaurant where we enjoyed a very pleasant lunch.

I hope you enjoyed this little excursion into Devon's military history, and as always more anon.

JJ