Siege of Reading

Not to be confused with Battle of Reading (871) or Battle of Reading (1688).

Siege of Reading
Part of First English Civil War
Date14–25 April 1643
Location
Reading, Berkshire
51°27′26″N 0°57′59″W / 51.4572°N 0.9665°W / 51.4572; -0.9665
Result Royalist garrison surrendered
Belligerents
Royalists Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Sir Arthur Aston
Richard Feilding		 Earl of Essex
Strength
c. 3,300 c. 19,000
Siege of Reading is located in Berkshire
Reading
Reading
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Berkshire and Reading

The siege of Reading was an eleven-day blockade of Reading, Berkshire, during the First English Civil War. Reading had been garrisoned by the Royalists in November 1642, and held 3,300 soldiers under the command of Sir Arthur Aston. On 14 April 1643, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex brought a Parliamentarian army of 19,000 men to lay siege to the town, and began bombarding the town two days later.

During the siege, Aston was wounded and command of the garrison passed to Richard Feilding. On 25 April, Feilding requested a truce in order to negotiate the town's surrender. Despite a relief force commanded by King Charles I and Prince Rupert arriving the following day, Feilding held to the truce, and Essex's army was able to repel the relieving army. The surrender terms were agreed on 26 April, and the next day the Royalists left the town for Oxford.