Battle of Stratton 1643 – English Civil War turning point

The Battle of Stratton 1643 – a battle that turned the tide of the English Civil War in the West. This is an opportunity to explore a nationally significant Cornish battlefield. Join Charles Cordell on Sunday 10 May 2026 – ahead of the 382^nd anniversary, 16 May 1643.

Battle of Stratton 1643 – Stamford Hill walk

The royalist victory at Stratton was hard-won. The Cornish foot defeated a well-positioned and numerically superior parliamentarian force on Stamford Hill outside Bude in Cornwall. The victorious Cornish Army then fought its way to Bath and the brutal Battle of Lansdown Hill. Sadly, it went on to sustain terrible losses at the Storming Bristol on 26 July 1643.

A morning walk will follow the lanes up which the Cornish foot fought. It will end at the Battle of Stratton memorial on Stamford Hill. The walk will last approximately two hours and will include discussion of the key role played by Cornwall in the English Civil War. Stout footwear is recommended.

The meeting point for the walk will be at the Preston Gate Inn in Poughill near Bude EX23 9ET (OS: SS 223078), at 10:30 on Sunday 10 May. Car parking at the pub is limited (please check with staff). However, there is a free village carpark at the cemetery, off Northcott Mouth Road (OS: SS 222079).

Although not part of this Battlefields Trust walk, those interested may wish to also visit St Andrew’s Church and/or the Tree Inn in Stratton. The church includes a good display of artifacts from the battlefield. The Tree Inn was the home of Anthony Payne the ‘Cornish Giant’. As steward and ensign to Sir Bevil Grenville, he fought at the battles of both Stratton and Lansdown Hill in 1643.

Please check out the Battlefield Trust website for more details. If you can, please do sign up ahead of this walk to give an indication of numbers.

For more author talks and battlefield walks with Charles Cordell, please check out Charles Cordell Events.