Powick Bridge
1642
Sept 23		 Worcester was held for the King by Sir John Byron together with a considerable amount of Royalist treasure. Rupert was sent to Worcester to defend it from approaching parliamentarian forces.

Rupert arrived with a troop of 500 horsemen and some dragoons and found that it was not possible to defend the town. He ordered Byron to retreat to Shrewsbury.

Covering this withdrawal, Rupert placed his men in a field called Brickfield Meadow near Powick Bridge to the south of the town. It was not long before they noticed a disturbance on the opposite side of the river Teme.
Approximately 1000 parliamentarian horsemen under the command of Nathaniel Fiennes had reached the bridge and started to cross. They were weary after being in the saddle all night. This was the first real skirmish of the Civil War, and Worcester was also to be the setting for the last battle in 1651.
Colonel Sandys led them across the bridge at 4pm only to meet gunshot from Prince Rupert's dragoons. The Colonel was mortally wounded and Rupert's cavalry charged.

The parliamentary forces withheld their fire until the last minute firing their carbines at the charging horsemen only at the last moment.

The action only lasted about 15 minutes. The parliamentarians lost 150 men and were routed by the charging cavalry, retreating back across the river.

Prince Rupert received a slight wound from a sword.

 It was at Powick Bridge that Prince Rupert won a reputation as a dashing cavalry commander.
After the battle Rupert sent Richard Crane to take the news to the King where he was knighted.
Those Involved :

Royalist : Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice, Lord Digby, Monsieur de Lisle, Sir Richard Crane, John Byron, Lord Henry Wilmot, Sir Charles Lucas, Sir Lewis Dyve.

Parliament : Nathaniel Fiennes, Colonel Sandys, Douglas, Brown
Read a Parliamentary view of the skirmish