Keep Your Powder Dry

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 medica...

I was having a bit of a sort out/procrastinating about doing a gajillion headswaps of  clubmen*, when I discovered some really useful figures in my 'spares box'. In the interests of 'balance' it must also be pointed out that there were some pretty useless figures in the spares box too (vampire with modern pistol, lots of deaded/wounded Scots highlanders etc). Well, it would be a criminal waste not to use the useful figures wouldn't it? The Scots Covenanters, now have a baggage train (of sorts). A witches' coven, complete with bubbling cauldron. The impressive bit being the fact I hadn't lost all three (separate) legs for the cauldron. Please note my witches look like witches, so have green skin and black clothes. Plus also in the pipeline are some more artillery pieces for the Parliamentarian and Royalist armies. Yet more baggage for those two armies too (well I did have rather a lot of spare horseholders), and another unit of commanded shot ...

Der Deutsches Historisches Museum I hear you say? Berlin? How is that relevant to the British Civil Wars? Well, if you put it bluntly - it isn't. However it does have a really really good Thirty Years War gallery, which is very similar to the BCW. My blog, my thinking, it's staying! Located in Berlin close to 'museum island' is the German History Museum (apologies typing Der Deutsches etc out is upsetting the spellchecker). Under 18s are free, so only oldies need pay. Some interesting galleries (lots of Napoleonic, FPW and World wars stuff) in there, but I'm focussing on the 30YW exhibits. Cue shameless photo gallery and the occasional comment. Recommended!   Plague mask (apologies for the reflections) Two large display cases full of armour. I really like how the armour was displayed. A siege mortar Nice detail on a cannon A regimental treasury box When walking around central Berlin you may not initially noti...

Yet another instalment in the adventures of William Waller's Southern Association. This time Waller attempts to defend Bath and stop the King accessing the rich resources of the south west. Sir Bevil Grenville's monument  Information board at the foot of the monument The rear of the monument - mind the nettles! Early on the 5th of July, Waller took up position to the north of Lansdown Hill where his troops began to throw up earthworks. His cavalry attacked small groups of Royalists in the area who fled to join Lord Hopton's main force at Marshfield (5 miles away from Lansdowne). Hopton immediately mustered his army and marched on Waller's position.  Lots of skirmishing ensued, before Hopton's cavalry were routed. Hopton's infantry stood firm and defeated the Parliamentarian cavalry and dragoons; they then stormed Waller's position on Lansdown.  Hopton's cavalry rallied and returned to the fray, where they once again c...

Bromesberrow Church is famous for being the home of the Yate cornets. (A cornet is the name given to the small, 60cm square cavalry flags used in the Civil Wars.) Two Civil War cavalry cornets, one believed to be Royalist, the other Parliamentarian were given to the church by the Yate family, they had been in the possession of Rice Yate (d.1690). Rice had been a Royalist cavalry officer - one cornet belonging to his squadron, the Parliamentarian cornet having been captured. Both cornets are believed to have been present at the Battle of Edgehill. The white cornet is attributed to Captain-Lieutenant Rice Yate and bears the motto “religio Protestantism leges Angliae libertates parlamentorum”, which translates as “Protestant religion, laws of England, freedom of Parliament”. On first reading this would seem a strange motto for a Royalist standard, however, those are the words of Charles I from "Declaration in Defence of the True Protestant Religion". The red corn...

The ECW Travelogue visited Oliver Cromwell's House ; bold claims from the nearby Cromwell Museum that they had the best collection of Cromwelliana, left me wondering whose coat I'd hold in the inevitable museum staff gang fight behind the shops after school. I needn't have feared becoming involved in a museum rumble - the two museums are very, very different.  Cromwell's House is located in Ely, a beautiful medieval cathedral city. It also doubles as the local tourist information office, and triples as the local 'Escape Room'. What's there to see? Most of the museum is laid out as it would have looked when Oliver and his family lived in the house. There are a number of items of Cromwelliana, including this statue. One of the rooms upstairs is devoted to the Civil Wars, and has a number of display panels and replica items on display. The museum also has a free walking guide to Huntingdon available "In Pursuit of Cromwell" ...

A trip down to 'that there London', inevitably led to a slight detour via Cambridgeshire for the ECW Travelogue. First stop The Cromwell Museum  which claims to be the "home to the best collection of items relating to the life and times of Oliver Cromwell on public display anywhere in the world". Sounds like fighting talk to me. Best to check that claim out... The museum is located in the former Huntingdon Grammar School building, a school attended by Oliver himself. The building itself has a fascinating history, starting it's life as a medieval hospital. So what's there to see, and can it back up it's claim? If you are looking for interactive displays, a coffee shop, and acres of space then perhaps this isn't the museum for you. The building itself is quite small, the collection it houses could quite comfortably fill a museum two or three times it's size. There are a number of items of arms and armour on permanent display. ...