Battle of Alton

1643 in England17th century in HampshireAlton, HampshireBattles of the English Civil WarsConflicts in 1643 ... and 1 more

Military history of Hampshire

The Battle of Alton (also Storm of Alton), of the First English Civil War, took place on 13 December 1643 in the town of Alton, Hampshire, England. There, Parliamentary forces serving under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of Royalist infantry and cavalry serving under the Earl of Crawford. The Battle of Alton was the first decisive defeat of Sir Ralph Hopton, leader of Royalist forces in the south, and the event had a significant psychological effect on him as commander. More important to Hopton was the loss of men, however, as he was already short-handed in much-needed infantry. The successful Parliamentarians were able, after their victory, to attack and successfully besiege Arundel, a larger and more formidable Royalist outpost to the south-east of Alton.At dawn on the 13th, as Waller's army approached Alton, Crawford fled with the cavalry to Winchester, leaving Colonel Richardus Boles to defend Alton with only the infantry. Outnumbered and overpowered, Boles's men were soon forced to seek refuge in the Church of St Lawrence, where they made a desperate last stand. Boles was killed, along with most of his remaining men. The Parliamentarians won a clear victory, losing only a few men and taking many prisoners.Boles's fight is also notable for its demonstrated drama and heroism. Stories boast that Boles killed a number of his enemies before falling himself. The battle of Alton is known as one of the "most savage encounters" of the English Civil War. Musket holes from the fight can still be seen in the south door to the church and inside, where so many cornered men were killed and captured. The Battle of Alton was also the first battle in the English Civil War to use leather guns, employed effectively by Waller before and during the battle proper.

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Battle of Alton
Church Street, East Hampshire

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N 51.151111111111 °	E -0.97583333333333 °

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Address

Saint Lawrence Church

Church Street
GU34 2BW East Hampshire
England, United Kingdom
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Phone number
Church of England

call+44142083234

Website
potr-alton.co.uk

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Nearby Places

Church of St Lawrence, Alton

The Church of St Lawrence, Alton is an Anglican parish church in Alton, Hampshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building and is notable both for the range of its architecture and for being the site of the concluding action of the Battle of Alton during the English Civil War.

First Battle of Alton

The First Battle of Alton was a skirmish in 1001 between the English and the Vikings. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle it took place at somewhere called, in Old English, Æthelingadene. Traditionally, the site was believed to have been what is now Alton, Hampshire. However, it is thought more likely to have been in the East and West Dean area of modern-day West Sussex.

Alton, Hampshire

Alton ( AWL-tən) is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England, near the source of the River Wey. It had a population of 17,816 at the 2011 census. Alton was recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as Aoltone. During the Saxon period Alton was known as Aweltun. The Battle of Alton occurred in the town during the English Civil War. It also has connections with Sweet Fanny Adams and Jane Austen.

Amery Hill School

Amery Hill School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status set on a hill above the market town of Alton, Hampshire, England. Its head teacher is R. Jeckells.

Curtis Museum

The Curtis Museum in Alton, is a local history museum in Hampshire, England. The museum was founded in 1865 by Dr William Curtis (1803–1881). In 2014, ownership of the museum was transferred to the Hampshire Cultural Trust as part of a larger transfer of museums from Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council.

Alton Town Hall

Alton Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Square in Alton, Hampshire, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Alton Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

Alton College

HSDC Alton, formerly known as Alton College, is located in Alton, Hampshire, England. In addition to offering A Levels, the College provides an adult education service to the local population. It was built in 1978 and was one of the first institutions in the UK to be a purpose-built sixth form college. On 1 March 2019 it merged with Havant and South Downs College, becoming the third campus of the college.

All Saints' Church, Alton

All Saints' Church is an Anglican church in Alton, Hampshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building by English Heritage.

Alton railway station

Alton railway station is a station in the market town of Alton, in the English county of Hampshire. The station is the terminus for two railway lines: the Alton Line which runs to Brookwood and on to London Waterloo, and the Mid Hants Watercress Railway which runs to Alresford. The latter once ran through to Winchester but was closed to passengers in February 1973; it reopened as a heritage line in 1985. Two other routes, both now closed, also served the station – the Meon Valley line to Fareham and the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway. Services operate along the Alton Line to Brookwood and join the South West Main Line towards London Waterloo. The line was single-tracked as far as Farnham by British Rail in the early 1980s.

Incidents at the Watercress Line

The Watercress Line is a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running 10 miles (16 km) from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line has four stations and operates scheduled and special services. The line was opened as the Mid-Hants Railway in 1865 and was purchased by the London & South Western Railway in 1884. The line was closed by British Rail in 1973 and sold to the present operator Mid-Hants Railway Ltd in 1975. The first section of the line between Alresford and Ropley was reopened in 1977, with the section to Medstead & Four Marks in 1983 and via Butts Junction to Alton in 1985. This article records a number of accidents and incidents on the line when operating as a heritage railway.

Alton School

Alton School is an independent Catholic day school on the outskirts of Alton, Hampshire for boys and girls from 6 months to 18 years. It has approximately 450 pupils of all faiths. Situated on a 19-acre (77,000 m2) campus, it has a nursery, prep, senior and 6th form.

Butts Junction

Butts Junction was a railway junction located in Alton in Hampshire, England. The junction was the location at which the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway and the Meon Valley Railway diverged from the Mid-Hants Railway which runs from Alton to Winchester. The junction became operational in 1901.All of the Junction's railway lines had closed by 1973, with the Mid-Hants Railway subsequently reopening as a heritage railway known as the Watercress Line in 1977. The location of Butts Junction can still be seen from trains on the Watercress Line, with an embankment tailing off in a different direction.