Edgehill, battle of, 1642. Edgehill was the opening battle of the English Civil War. After raising his standard at Nottingham in August 1642, Charles I embarked on a recruiting march in the west midlands, while Parliament gathered an army under Essex to face him. Charles began an advance towards London from Shrewsbury, via Bridgnorth and Wolverhampton. Essex shadowed him across from Worcester to Warwick to intercept. The royalists slipped past him but on 23 October turned to fight on the steep slopes of Edgehill, outside Banbury. Each side had about 12,000 men. Prince Rupert's cavalry had much the better of the exchanges, but the parliamentary infantry stood firm, allowing both sides to claim victory. The road to London was left open for the king but his leisurely advance by way of Oxford gave his opponents time to regroup and look to their defences.

J. A. Cannon

Edgehill, Battle of the first pitched battle of the English Civil War (1642), fought at the village of Edgehill in the west Midlands. The Parliamentary army attempted to halt the Royalist army's march on London; the battle ended with no clear winner and with heavy losses on both sides.

Edgehill, Battle of (October 23, 1642) First encounter of Parliamentarians and Royalists in the English Civil War, near Banbury, Oxfordshire. The Royalists were outnumbered (11,000 men to the Parliamentarians' 13,000), but the result was to their advantage.