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| Hambledon Hill 1645 | ||
| Aug 4 | Cromwell arrives at
Shaftesbury with 1000 men to find some 2000 of the Dorsetshire Clubmen
entrenched in positions on Hambledon Hill. He had already captured about
50 of their leaders in the town where they were holding a meeting.
Cromwell sends 50 dragoons to attack from the rear and the Clubmen are easily put to flight - most of them sliding down the hill on their backsides. About 300 of them are locked up overnight in Shroton church.
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The Clubmen
are led by Rev. Bravel of Compton Abbas.
Cromwell describes the action... "They beat them from the work, and did some small execution upon them; I believe killed not 12 of them, but cut very many." |
| Aug 5 | The following morning Cromwell, after lecturing them, allowed their release. He wrote in a letter to Fairfax.... | |
| "We have taken about 300, many of which are poor silly creatures, whom if you please to let me send home they promise to be very dutiful for time to come, and will be hanged before they come out again." | ||
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Hambledon Hill can be seen in the distance. | |