The Earl of Essex commanding the Parliamentarian's 10,000 was trapped against the sea by two Royalist forces 14,000 men under Charles 1 closed from the East while 2,400 under Richard Grenville came from the West. The parliamentary horse broke out and reached Plymouth with few casualties. The infantry remained fighting a series of skirmishes from field to field. At nightfall Essex and some men slipped away by sea. About 6,000 men were taken prisoner by the Royal army. Their were few casualties on either side.

Approximately midway between Liskeard and St Austell, Cornwall, England (England)

A Parliamentary army of 10,000, under the command of the Earl of Essex had penetrated the hostile county of Cornwall and was now surrounded and trapped as the Royalists converged on the area. During the first action, the 16,400 strong Royalists, under Charles himself, captured Beacon Hill. This confined the Parliamentarians within a beach-head with their backs to the sea. On 31st August Essex’s cavalry broke out but during a second engagement the Parliamentary perimeter was further compressed. Essex escaped by boat and the remainder of his army surrendered on 2nd September.

[Additional details supplied by Chris Auckland of Thomas Wentworths Regiment of the Sealed Knot]