1646 February 16th. Battle of Torrington.

1646 February 16th. Battle of Torrington: was a battle of the south-western campaign of the First English civil war, marking the end of Royalist resistance in the west country.
 Prelude. After Sergeant-major-general Thomas Wentworth (5th. Baron Wentworth)'s, defeat at Bovey Tracey, Lieutenant-general Ralph Hopton (Baron Hopton) was appointed Royalist commander in the west, with Sergeant-major-general Thomas Wentworth (Baron Wentworth) commanding the horse and Sir Richard Grenville (Baron) the foot. Sir Richard Grenville (Baronet) refused to recognise Lieutenant-general Ralph Hopton (Baron Hop ton) as Royalist commander in the west, he was arrested for insubordination and imprisoned in St Michael's Mount. Lieutenant-general Ralph Hopton (Baron Hopton)'s army, numbering only two thousand foot and three thousand horse,advanced into Devon and occupied Torrington, where defensive works were thrown up.

1646 February16th. Battle: The Parliamentarians approached from the east in the evening, in heavy rain with night falling, they ran into Royalist dragoons and fighting broke out to the east of Torrington. Lord-general Thomas Fairfax decided to wait until morning to reconnoitre the Royalist defences, however, Lieutenant-general Oliver Cromwell's dragoons were sent forward to test the defences and came under fire. Lord-general Thomas Fairfax fax pushed more troops forward in support and a general fight developed,the fighting at the barricades lasted two hrs. at push of pike, at last the Cornish infantry gave way and retreated into the town, where bitter fighting continued, a stray spark ignited the Royalist magazine in Torrington church, where eighty barrels of gunpowder were stored, the explosion destroyed the church, killed all the prisoners held there and narrowly missed killing Lord-general Thomas Fairfax, the explosion effectively ended the battle the remaining Royalist troops escaped.