return via Collingbourne .....

A small body of royalist horse and dragoons had been sent out to scout out potential routes to attempt to get relief to the besieged at Basing House.

On their way back they had blundered into a body of parliamentarian horse, although the royalists had seen them off they had lost some men and worse half of their horses. They made their back skirting to the north of Ludegershall, then across country. On their last leg back to safety they would have work their way round a parliamentarian outpost at Collingbourne Ducis and then over the downs to the royalist garrison of Pewsey; they had been riding double but are now dismounted leading the tired horses ....

---oXo---

At Collingbourne a parliamentarian officer is out trying to bag some fowl ...

Meanwhile at Fulcher's farm, on the main road south-west, a small picket guarded the road.

The royalists cross the fields ...

then make a dash across the road ....

they are spotted by a sentry who calls out the garrison at the outpost ....

As the royalists cross the heathland they capture the parliamentarian officer ...

As they approach the road by Fulcher's farm, the parliamentarians are closing in .....

close pistol and musket fire ensues ....

some of the men dash across the road ...

they try to get the horses across, losing some ....

a small group of royalists managed to get round the back of farm and force out the parliamentarian picket...

as the main group of royalists dash towards the downs (still with the captured officer), the parliamentarians fire a couple of parting shots; the other royalists get a spare horse from the farm....

then head for the woods and up on the downs. The royalists meet at the top of the hill and make their way to Pewsey without further loss.