The Battle of Boldon Hill was a skirmish fought during the English Civil War in March 1644, between a Royalist army attempting to bring the army of the Scottish Covenanters to battle. The Scots, having unsuccessfully attacked Newcastle upon Tyne, crossed the River Tyne higher upstream and attempted an attack against the defences on the southern end of the bridge over the river, which led directly into the city. With this attack, the Scottish commander Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven entered Sunderland several miles to the south, as the town had declared for Parliament.