As the dispute between King Charles I and parliament intensified, Herefordshire remained a deeply conservative county and royalists greatly outnumbered the supporters of parliament.

There were eight members of parliament representing the county at that time - two members for the county, and two each for the boroughs of Hereford, Leominster and Weobley. The two county MPs, Fitzwilliam Coningsby and Sir Robert Harley were to take prominent parts in the coming war on opposing sides, and in the Spring of 1642 Harley began strengthening his castle at Brampton Bryan.

Parliament appointed the Earl of Essex lieutenant of Herefordshire but his authority was ignored and commissions issued by the king raised such military force as existed in the county in the Royalist cause. The county magazine, in St Owen's Gate in the city was seized and the leading local Royalist, Lord Scudamore, collected materials of war at his seat at Holme Lacy.

Essex occupied Worcester on 24th September 1642 and dispatched a force of just 900 horsemen to Hereford. In a panic the mayor surrendered the city and two days later parliamentary infantry arrived to form a permanent garrison. With resources overstretched the occupation proved to difficult to maintain and on 14th December parliamentary troops left the city. Hereford reverted to the royalists. St Owen's Gate, Hereford, in the late 18th century - from the inside. The county magazine was stored here in the time of the civil war.

Church Street, Hereford. Once called Cabbage Lane, this had been the site of the vegetable market. The name was often gentrified to Capuchin Lane as early as the 18th century The opportunity to organise the city's defences was missed however and in April 1643 the Parliamentary commander William Waller marched north from Gloucester and easily occupied Hereford on the 25th. Leading local Royalists including Lord Scudamore and Fitzwilliam Coningsby were captured.

Waller occupied Leominster on the 27th but lacking sufficient strength to maintain his position was forced to withdraw from the county, marching out of Hereford on 20th May. Again, Hereford reverted to the Royalists, who began to reorganise the local defences.

The only parliamentary stronghold remaining in the county was Robert Harley's castle at Brampton Bryan. On 26th July the Royalists laid siege to it. For seven weeks the siege continued and the village of Brampton Bryan was reduced to rubble. The garrison, commanded by Harley's capable wife Brilliana, held out. The Royalist gave up the siege but Brilliana, exhausted died shortly after. Brampton Bryan, the only Parliamentary stronghold in the county, remained a problem for the Royalists and they returned in Spring 1644. The Royalist commander, Michael Woodhouse, had just taken nearby Hopton in Shropshire, where he had executed the garrison for defending a hopeless cause for too long. This may have served as a warning to the Brampton garrison. After three weeks of resistance they surrendered On 17th April and the castle was completely destroyed.

The Royalist position was not secure. The Parliamentarians at Gloucester grew stronger and they occupied the Herefordshire town of Ledbury in April, levying money from the countryside and raiding as far as the gates of Hereford. Prince Rupert's advance drove them from Ledbury but shortly afterwards they occupied Ross-on-Wye for a week.

Royalist now placed the county under military control and set about impressing men and horses. More contributions to the war effort were demanded, and those suspected of not supporting it were imprisoned without trial. In November 1644 Prince Rupert became commander of the Royalist armies and his brother Maurice was placed in charge of the counties of Monmouthshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire. Soldiers brought from Ireland were posted in the county and their behaviour caused added resentment. The Royalist garrison at Canon Frome was particularly disliked and in north-east Herefordshire youths composed satirical ballads at their expense.