Cropredy 375

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Rather than cluttering up my ECW Travelogue guide to Cropredy Bridge, I decided to post a second entry which is purely devoted to my snaps from the Sealed Knot's Cropredy 375 event.

The Living History camp...




 
The battle...
 



































 

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The National Civil War Centre, Newark - re-visited

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I'm a bit of a fan of the National Civil War Centre and Newark in general; the centre and Newark having graced the pages of this blog a number of times. Well the Centre has had a revamp.

So much of a revamp that rather than trying to re-write the previous entry it made more sense to write a fresh entry.


On entering the museum the ground floor has stayed pretty much the same - a history of Newark gallery, and then the main gallery. The main gallery boasts an impressive display of arms and armour (mostly on loan from the Royal Armouries), interactive displays, Civil War era 'civilian' artefacts (including Newark siege tokens, and a deserters' hand branding iron). The multimedia theatre presents three short films, three in the morning and a different three in the afternoon. Not forgetting the dressing up for small and no-so-small people.

The World Turned Upside Down is the new exhibition which replaces the excellent arms and armour display, and the medical exhibition. Th…
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Clubmen

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When we think of the British Civil Wars we think of everyone belonging to one of the warring camps - there was another group of people who wanted no part in the war, wanting instead to live a peaceful life. When the war visited them, or more precisely soldiers foraging or looting, they rose up and banded together to protect their homes and property.

"Peace and truth"
Clubmen risings took place in Shropshire, Worcester, and most notably in Dorsetshire. In Bradford citizens rose up and sided with Fairfax, at Adwalton Moor, in defence of their home. The most significant clubmen rising was in Dorsetshire: for a fuller history of the Dorsetshire clubmen might I suggest the following article at Fontmell Magna village, and of course the Clubmen 1645 website and blog.

My clubmen are, naturally, from Peter Pig. However to represent a large rabble of people with just three poses has meant quite a number of headswaps. Must say I am a little disappointed that Peter Pig (a Dorsetshire co…
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London, Part Five: Memorials (and Churches)

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The ECW Travelogue returns to the capital for a story of war, politics, births, deaths, marriages, illicit liaisons (possible) and execution. This time an Oyster card fuelled trip around the blue plaques, cemeteries and churches of that there London (with a pub thrown in for good measure).

The easiest way to complete this tour is using public transport (with some walking) and I have given directions using TfL Underground/Overground/Docklands Light Railway and the bus network. If you are unfamiliar with town and the transport system, the easiest (and cheapest) way to pay is using a contactless card, Oyster Card or app - just remember to tap in and tap out at each station. You will need a tube map (free from stations or better still download an app, most of which allow you to plan journeys) and a map app such as Google Maps on your phone.

First stop is Bunhill Burial Ground, City Road EC3 - Exit 3 Old Street tube station.  Bunhill was known as the hill of bones - literally bone hill; wh…
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What Colours To Use?

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The mental images we have of seventeenth century dress are invariably of a dashing cavalier, wearing extravagant clothing and an ostentatious feather in a broad-brimmed hat; or a dour Puritan dressed in black and white. A heavily stylised, but very enduring set of images created by the Victorians. But what was the reality?

Some clothing from the time still exists, although this will, by the very nature of things, have belonged to rich owners. It has been suggested too, that due to interest in the civil wars, that these surviving garments have been fancydress-ified to achieve the romantic nature of dashing cavaliers and their ladies.

One example of surviving clothing items  is a royalist officer's sash in the Victoria and Albert museum which has intricate silver/white embroidery.


A quick trawl around the National Gallery throws up a number of useful paintings. There is a gallery of Van Dyck's, showing portraits of Charles’s inner circle: the colours on display clearly shout …
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Adwalton Moor, 30th June 1643

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Where I hear you ask? Adwalton Moor fought on 30th June 1643,  was a battle which was thought to be  of little importance, on the moors outside Bradford. Recent reappraisals by historians have led English Heritage to describe it thus: "with the exception of Marston Moor... Adwalton Moor was the most important battle fought north of the Trent during the First Civil War".*

Lobster pot on display at Bolling Hall
Adwalton Moor is a reasonably well-documented battle.  Accounts of the fighting survive from both the Parliamentarian and Royalist viewpoints.  The course of events is easy to reconstruct and, with the help of the original Ordnance Survey map of the area, can be matched to features of the terrain mentioned by participants.


Information board at the library
Lord Ferdinando Fairfax decided to meet The Earl of Newcastle in open battle rather than be besieged in Bradford, which he deemed undefensible. They met by chance at Adwalton. Both sides seemed to be stuck in a stalemate,…
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Houses of Interest: Yorkshire

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When I researched and wrote the Rupert travelogue entry for Yorkshire, and the entry for Adwalton Moor there were some great houses that I was unable to visit (namely because they were shut). I have slowly been plugging away at visiting and documenting them here on the blog.

Skipton Castle got it's own post, Knaresborough Castle was added to the Rupert Yorkshire post; which leaves Oakwell Hall. (And probably lots of others...)

Oakwell Hallgets the honour of kicking off the Yorkshire Houses of Interest entry. Oakwell was the inspiration for Charlotte Brontë's Fieldhead in "Shirley". More recently it has been used a number of times as a film set, including "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell".


Located close to the M62 and the Leeds branch of purgatory on Earth (aka Ikea), this Tudor manor house is beautifully maintained by Kirklees Borough Council.

The hall is presented as a seventeenth century home. I really like this approach, as so often historic houses have di…
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Coat Colours

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The tricky question of 'what colour' should I paint my armies was my next conundrum. The fanciful Victorian imagery of the wars has pretty much been dispelled (Roundheads in striped sleeved shirts, Cavaliers in poncey big hats); in reality both sides were, very much of a muchness. There are some surviving uniforms, and documentary evidence of colours and flags, which give us a starting point.

Whilst I do strive for accuracy, at the end of the day my armies are a pastiche, they aim to give a 'feel' rather than pleasing the 'button counters' that populate the darker corners of the wargaming community. But, as there is so much that historians don't know about Civil War uniforms, a pastiche is probably the best that anyone can aspire to.

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Brown Paper Parcels Tied Up With String

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...were one of Julie Andrews's favourite things. Here's one of mine. A blast from the past, some old Minifig's boxes. A couple of the fabled Hinchliffe blue boxes, and a more recent offering from Foundry*. Okay, completely superfluous and adds an extra cost to figures, but you've got to love a little box haven't you?



* don't worry, I haven't gone over to the 28mm side, I bought some paint from them.
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Welcome

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Welcome to 'Keep Your Powder Dry'. This blog is my way of storing a load of information that I have found whilst researching my British Civil War 15mm wargames armies. It is no way exhaustive, nor do I claim that it will be completely definitive. I expect to make errors, if you spot one please tell me. This blog is mainly a lesson in self-indulgence: it is mine, for me. But I do of course welcome visitors, and if it helps you out then I consider that a bonus.


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Is Cake Allowed?

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Whilst happy to celebrate my Parliamentarian heritage and leaning (my great × lots uncle became General Treasurer of Lancashire for Parliament in 1643), if Cromwell was against cake I may well have to become a turncoat and rally to the King's aide.
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