<P> When it appeared to King Charles I that no agreement with Parliament over the government of the Kingdom was possible, he left London on 2 March 1642 and headed for the North of England . Both Parliament and King realised that armed conflict was inevitable, and prepared to raise forces . Parliament enacted a Militia Ordinance, by which it claimed authority over the country's trained bands, while from his temporary capital of York, Charles rejected Parliament's Nineteen Propositions and issued Commissions of Array, directing the Lord Lieutenant of each county to raise forces for the King . </P> <P> Charles then attempted to seize the port of Kingston - upon - Hull where arms and equipment previously collected for the Bishops' Wars had been gathered . In the Siege of Hull, the Parliamentarian garrison defied the King's authority and drove his forces away from the city . In early August the King moved south, to Lincoln and Leicester, where he secured the contents of the local armouries . On 22 August, he took the decisive step by raising the royal standard in Nottingham, effectively declaring war on Parliament . The Midlands were generally Parliamentarian in sympathy, and few people rallied to the king there, so having again secured the arms and equipment of the local trained bands, Charles moved to Chester and subsequently to Shrewsbury, where large numbers of recruits from Wales and the Welsh border were expected to join him . (By this point, there was conflict in almost every part of England, as local commanders attempted to seize the main cities, ports and castles for their respective factions). </P> <P> Having learned of the King's actions in Nottingham, Parliament dispatched its own army northward under the Earl of Essex, to confront the King . Essex marched first to Northampton, where he mustered almost 20,000 men . Learning of the King's move westwards, Essex then marched north - westwards towards Worcester . On 23 September, in the first clash between the main Royalist and Parliamentarian armies, Royalist cavalry under Prince Rupert of the Rhine routed the cavalry of Essex's vanguard at the Battle of Powick Bridge . Nevertheless, lacking infantry, the Royalists abandoned Worcester . </P> <P> By early October, the King's army was almost complete at Shrewsbury . He held a council of war, at which two courses of action were considered . The first was to attack Essex's army at Worcester, which had the drawback that the close country around the city would put the superior Royalist cavalry at a disadvantage . The second course, which was adopted, was to advance towards London . The intention was not to avoid battle with Essex, but to force one at an advantage . In the Earl of Clarendon's words: "it was considered more counsellable to march towards London, it being morally sure that Essex would put himself in their way ." Accordingly, the army left Shrewsbury on 12 October, gaining two days start on the enemy, and moved southeast . Essex followed, but neither army had much information on the location of their enemy . </P>

First major battle of the english civil war