Just a few miles from Spilsby, across quiet farmland and winding lanes, a brief but brutal clash once decided the fate of Lincolnshire — and helped shape the course of the English Civil War.
On 11 October 1643, the Battle of Winceby turned peaceful countryside into a scene of chaos and bloodshed. Yet today, it is a battle that most have forgotten — marked only by a couple of roadside signs and remembered mainly by Civil War historians. Despite its obscurity, it was a decisive turning point for Parliament’s control of the region and a key moment in Oliver Cromwell’s rise to power.
When War Came to Spilsby’s Doorstep
The year 1643 found England divided. The Royalists, loyal to King Charles I, held strongholds across the Midlands and hoped to sweep back into Lincolnshire. Their local base at Bolingbroke Castle, just outside Spilsby, made the area strategically vital.
The Parliamentarian army, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, Oliver Cromwell, and Edward Rossiter, marched north from Boston and Spilsby to confront them. Their goal was simple but crucial: stop the Royalists from retaking Lincoln and re-establishing royal control of the county.
The Clash at Winceby
The two forces met near Winceby, between Spilsby and Horncastle. Both armies consisted mostly of cavalry. Cromwell’s Eastern Association horse — later known as his Ironsides — faced the Royalist squadrons of Sir William Widdrington and Sir John Henderson.
The fighting was fierce but fleeting, lasting perhaps fifteen minutes. The Royalists initially gained the upper hand, driving Cromwell’s men back. Cromwell himself was said to have had his horse shot from under him. But when Fairfax’s reserve struck the Royalist flank and Cromwell’s troopers regrouped, the tide turned dramatically. The Royalists broke and fled, pursued for miles across the fields towards Bolingbroke and beyond.
Local legend still recalls names like Slash Hollow and Bloody Gutter, said to mark where fleeing soldiers fell — a grim echo of the day civil war came to Spilsby’s doorstep.
A Forgotten Turning Point
The outcome of the Battle of Winceby was far greater than its brief duration might suggest. It was a clear Parliamentarian victory, forcing the Royalists to abandon Bolingbroke Castle soon afterwards. In one swift stroke, Parliament secured Lincolnshire, safeguarding the entire eastern flank of its forces and ensuring the county’s resources and ports remained out of royal hands.
For Cromwell, Winceby marked an early proof of his leadership and discipline. The success of his cavalry that day foreshadowed his later triumphs — and the emergence of the New Model Army, which would eventually bring the Civil War to its dramatic conclusion.
And yet, despite its importance, Winceby has faded from national memory. No grand monument marks the field — just a modest plaque and a couple of road signs for those who know where to look. The quiet farmland gives no hint that one of the war’s most decisive local battles was fought there.
Remembering the Battle Near Spilsby
Nearly four centuries on, the Battle of Winceby deserves more than a passing nod from a brown heritage sign. It stands as a reminder that our corner of Lincolnshire — usually associated with agriculture and tranquility — once sat at the heart of a struggle that reshaped England’s future.
For those living in Spilsby, Bolingbroke, and the surrounding villages, the echoes of that October morning form part of our shared history. The battlefield may be silent now, but the events of 1643 remind us that even the most rural places can play a defining role in the nation’s story — and that history, however forgotten, still lies beneath our feet.