Double blow for Royalists

On 17 March Brereton marched his Parliamentary force into Shrewsbury and captured the town for the Roundheads. He is now well poised to strike at an undefended Bristol(teeming with Royalist gold) or move north to threaten Chester and Royalist links with Ireland. An even bigger blow against the Royalists was struck by Leven when the city of Newcastle surrended with honours to the Scots on 20 March. This leaves the north east of England open to a Scots invasion with a linkup with Fairfax and Manchester's forces now a real possibility.