▁control ; ▁only ▁P ly mouth , ▁Po ole ▁and ▁L yme ▁Reg is ▁held ▁out ▁against ▁them , ▁but ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁Es sex ▁swe pt ▁through ▁the ▁region ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 6 4 4 , ▁claim ing ▁most ▁of ▁Som erset ▁and ▁Dev on ▁for ▁parliament . ▁He ▁then ▁over - st retch ed ▁himself ▁and ▁was ▁tra pped ▁in ▁Corn wall , ▁isolated ▁from ▁rein for c ements . ▁His ▁army ▁suffered ▁a ▁heavy ▁defeat ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Lost with iel ▁in ▁September , ▁and ▁scattered ▁back ▁into ▁Dor set , ▁leaving ▁only ▁P ly mouth ▁and ▁Ta un ton ▁as ▁significant ▁Parliament arian ▁controlled ▁towns ▁in ▁Corn wall , ▁Dev on ▁and ▁Som erset . ▁Within ▁Dor set , ▁L yme ▁Reg is , ▁Po ole ▁and ▁We ym outh ▁remained ▁under ▁parliament ary ▁command . ▁ ▁We ym outh ▁We ym outh , ▁although ▁protected ▁by ▁earth works ▁and ▁d itch es , ▁was ▁generally ▁und ef end able ▁against ▁any ▁serious ▁effort ▁to ▁take ▁it . ▁The ▁har bour ▁was ▁well - protected ▁by ▁S ands foot ▁Castle , ▁but ▁the ▁town ▁itself ▁had ▁little ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁of ▁serious ▁fort ifications . ▁The ▁town ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ists ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 6 4 3 , ▁before ▁being ▁forced ▁to ▁surrender ▁by ▁Robert ▁De vere ux , ▁ 2 nd ▁Earl ▁of ▁Es sex ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 4 . ▁William ▁Sy den ham ▁was ▁appointed ▁governor