The British Army of today traces its lineage back to the soldiers who fought in the New Model Army during the English Civil War.
One significant battle that showcased the strength and effectiveness of the New Model Army was the Battle of Naseby.
Taking place on June 14, 1645, the Battle of Naseby was a pivotal moment in the English Civil War. The New Model Army, under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, faced off against the Royalist forces led by King Charles I.
The New Model Army was a formidable force, comprising well-trained and disciplined soldiers. At Naseby, they employed innovative tactics, using disciplined infantry, combined arms, and cavalry to great effect.
Under the leadership of Fairfax, the New Model Army won a resounding victory at Naseby, effectively crushing the Royalist forces. This triumph marked a turning point in the English Civil War and demonstrated the power and capabilities of the New Model Army.
The legacy of the New Model Army’s success at Naseby endured long after the civil war. Its disciplined soldiers and military strategies laid the foundation for the modern British Army. The principles of professionalism, training, and organization established by the New Model Army continue to influence the British Army’s structure and operations to this day.
Thus, the British Army of today can be traced back to the soldiers who fought in the New Model Army, with their contributions and achievements, notably showcased at the Battle of Naseby.
Its infantry and dragoons were the first uniformed army in Britain since the Roman Legions. After three years of stalemate, Naseby was the first time that a royal army headed by the king’s person was decisively defeated in the field. The capture of almost all of the royalist infantry at Naseby was catastrophic as it proved impossible for the King to replace them. Naseby set in train a remarkable series of uninterrupted parliamentarian victories that ended the First Civil War within twelve months.
The triumph at Naseby affronted parliamentarian critics who had hoped that the New Model experiment would fail, such as the MP Denzil Holles who had called its officers ‘a notable dunghill’. Naseby shifted the balance of power at Westminster towards those MPs who wanted to pursue a decisive military victory over the King. It also lessened the political power of Parliament’s allies, the Scots Army of the Covenant. Naseby confounded those royalists who scorned the New Model’s fighting capacity as the ‘new noddle’, and the King who had referred to its commander, Sir Thomas Fairfax’ as ‘the rebels’ new brutish general’. The capture of the King’s correspondence on the battlefield revealed Charles I’s duplicity and eroded his support. After Naseby, royalist forces were often readier to surrender if offered decent terms. Side-changing increased, weakening the royalists, alongside internal recriminations among their officers as local forces and garrisons capitulated.
The regimental system, a fundamental structure in military organisation, emerged over time as armies transitioned from feudal levies to professional standing forces.
Its origins can be traced back to the late medieval period in Europe. During this time, leaders started grouping soldiers into organised units based on shared characteristics, such as geographic origin or specialised skills.
As warfare evolved, particularly during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) where many officers from both sides of the English Civil War served and gained valuable experience and knowledge, the need for more standardised and coordinated military formations became apparent.
Standing armies began to form, and regiments, consisting of multiple companies, became essential administrative and tactical units.
The English Civil War (1642-1651) further solidified the regimental system, with the New Model Army’s establishment which was formed from the remains of three older Parliamentarian armies.
This structure enabled better training, discipline, and command, laying the foundation for modern military organisation that continued to develop in subsequent centuries.
Several British regiments can trace their lineage back to the Battle of Naseby.
Charles II was the first British monarch to maintain a standing army in peacetime. Financed by a new Parliament, it included Royalist units from his exile, like the King’s Troop of Horseguards (later to be known as The Life Guards), and old regiments from the New Model Army which were disbanded and then subsequently re-mustered – such as Monck’s Regiment (later The Coldstream Guards).
Time Line
April 1659 – Richard Cromwell deposed by the army
January 1660 – General Monck marches into England from Coldstream in Scotland
February 1660 – Monck allows moderate MP’s to return to Parliament
May (1st) 1660 – Parliament votes for Restoration of Charles II
May (25th) – Charles II lands at Dover
August 1660 – New model Army is disbanded by Convention Act
January (26th) 1661 – Charles II issues warrant creating the British Army.
The possibility of absolute monarchy died with Charles I. Indeed, attempts by another of his sons, James II, to strengthen royal power, including using the army as an instrument of political control, led to his downfall in the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688.
(Source: The National Army Museum)
The NBFP plans to engage with volunteers and research and document the links between the battle and its outcomes and how that has affected people’s lives today. It is important to understand and document how our heritage has shaped and continues to shape our future.
There are numerous ways that you can help us continue the valuable work of educating and inspiring as many as possible about the enduring importance of what happened over 2 hours at Naseby. you can also continue to expand your understanding of the battle and its ongoing consequences by sharing our latest findings and news.
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