Keep Your Powder Dry

A somewhat dark and dour postcript to the Battle of Naseby. War is a dreadful thing, amongst all of the horrific things that human inflicts upon other human in the name of 'war' there are some events that stand out as atrocities:   o ne such atrocity took place in the aftermath of the battle of Naseby.  There are many atrocities attributed to one side or the other during the Civil Wars, but when you look into most of these atrocities, hard evidence can be hard to find to support the hyperbole of the pamphleteers. An oft recycled pamphlet image of an atrocity: originally used for an event in the south west, then Leicester, then York . The events that befell the Royalist baggage train after Naseby are fairly unique in that both sides report pretty much the same story, and a 1660 Petition to Charles II supports the story. Naseby is  all but lost and panicking Royalist troops start fleeing north towards Market Harborough, and the baggage train flees too. Anyone who has ever w...

Updated. As the Naseby Battlefield Project appear to want to steer you towards a guided tour of the battlefield, here's the information that you need for a self-guided tour. Back in the day when this blog was knee high to a grasshopper I wrote an entry about visiting Naseby, with a picture of the obelisk and a few postcodes for some of the landmarks on the battlefield. I also vowed to return. I have (several times). So here is a more definitive (and up to date) visitor's guide to Naseby battlefield. In my previous blog entry I suggested using a Battlefield Trail Guide from The Naseby Battlefield Project website , but this has disappeared from their website ; so, here is my guide to the locations. There were audio clips for each location (again via the Battlefield Project website) but these appear to have disappeared too. The information boards are being updated, most sites have shiny new information boards in situ; some still have QR codes for the audio guide (don't tr...

The battlefield at Middleton Cheney has recently been surveyed and an interpretation board installed by the Battlefields' Trust. So it would seem impolite if the ECWtravelogue didn't make a visit... A newly unveiled memorial in the churchyard This night late came a messenger with an Expresse from Banbury to Oxford, declaring what an absolute victory it pleased God to grant the Earle of Northampton over the Rebels at Middleton Cheney, not farre from Banbury Mercurius Aulicus, 6th May 1643   Garrisoned at Banbury the Earl of Northampton received intelligence of  a Parliamentarian force advancing towards Banbury from Northampton. He deployed with his own Regiment of Horse and the Prince of Wales’ Regiment of Horse,  initially to monitor the advance. To avoid the well defended bridge at Banbury, the parliamentarians cross the River Cherwell at a ford close to Bodicote. As they neared the ford they saw the Royalists deployed on the opposite side of the river with a detachment ...