Sir Warwick Hunt had secured Sarisbury, but his forces were stretched. He had garrisoned Wilton nearby to command the approach to the city from the west; Romsey to keep a link with Southampton; and Stockbridge to hold the river crossing on the road to Winchester. Much to his delight Longford castle, a fortified residence, a few miles to the south-east of Sarisbury had surrendered.
He had just heard of the plight of Wardour , 15 miles to the west, whose small Parliamentrian garrison had been under siege by Royalists for a some weeks. A small body of horse sent to help had been turned back.
---oXo---
Events at Wardour were developing.... a small piece of artillery kept up an intermittent bombardment
The defenders fired the odd musket shot in return ...
The royalists had brought in some miners from the Mendips, who had been tasked with mining the castle walls. The officer in charge of the works reported to the siege commander that all was ready ....
The mine is set and goes off right under the curtain wall of the castle ...
The curtain wall fell and the royalists moved in on the small keep, the defenders with no hope of assistance and nearly out of food surrender .....
a small victory for ye Kinge
