Previous events

2012

Mar 20
St Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, Stourbridge
Stourbridge BMSGH English Civil War talk with with special reference to Bewdley, Kidderminster & Worcester

Mar 21
Cricklade Historical Society - Cricklade Town Hall
The English Civil War in Wiltshire 1642-46

Mar 21
Stow-on-the-Wold
Unveiling of commemorative a English Civil War plaque
Descendants of enemy commanders to meet in Stow Square. One of a number of events commemorating the Battle of Stow on the Wold 1646.

Mar 23
St Edward's Hall, Stow-on-the-Wold
Heroes and Villains of the English Civil War (BT)
Julian Humphrys talks about the dramatic lives of the characters portrayed in the paintings at St Edward's Hall. Martin Fiennes will also speak about Broughton Castle near Banbury. One of a number of events commemorating the Battle of Stow on the Wold 1646.

Mar 24 - 25
Gloucester
English Civil War Living History Event at Folk Museum and Docks, Gloucester (ECWS)

Mar 25
Stow on the Wold
A walk around the site of the last battle of the 'First' Civil War (BT)
Simon Marsh leads the walk. One of a number of events commemorating the Battle of Stow on the Wold 1646.

Mar 25
Cheriton, Hampshire
Memorial service and drill display (SK)

Mar 27

Pendennis castle, Falmouth
Author Debate: English Civil War
Fiona Mountain in conversation with writer and broadcaster Paul Blezard (English Heritage event).

Mar 31
Guildford
Discovering the English Civil War (BT)
Afternoon of English Civil War talks in Guildford's historic Abbot's Hospital: Alan Turton, author and former curator of Basing House, on the life of the Civil War soldier; Julian Humphrys on the English Civil War in Surrey and NE Hants; Question and answer session with English Civil War author Mike Arnold.

Mar 31
Farnham
The Godolphin Regiment of Foote make camp in the grounds of Farnham library before a series of family events.
Part of Surrey Libraries Children's Book Festival 2012.

Mar 31 - May 26
Manor House Museum, Kettering
Battle of Naseby exhibition
Exhibition of battlefield archaeology and historic artefacts which looks at the differing armies involved in the battle and how the battle was fought.

Apr 5 - Sept 30
Hampton Court Palace
The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned
Exhibition of Stuart women portraits.

Apr 6 - 9
Basing House, Hampshire
Battle re-enactment (SK)

April 14
Barnstaple
Commemoration of the Siege of Barnstaple 1646. (SK)

April 22
Manchester
St. George's Day Parade (SK)

May 5 - 7
Wentworth Castle, Yorkshire
Large battle re-enactment, living history (SK)

May 6
Camping Close, Linton, Cambs
The Linton Rebellion (ECWS)
Re-enactment commemorating the 1648 'battle' of Linton. Part of the Linton Children's Book Festival 2012.

May 6
Peterborough
Tudor and Stuart Peterborough Tour
Accompany a costumed guide to hidden buildings that survive from the period and learn about the families that lived there 350 years ago. Hear stories of the Queens buried in the Cathedral and the demise of Peterborough Abbey. Find out what happened when the English Civil War came to Peterborough and grimace at ghastly tales of The Plague, which killed a third of the town.

May 12 - 13
Marbury, Cheshire
Marbury Merry Days (SK)
Parade, living history. Part of the two-day country fair.

May 12 - 13
Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey
English Civil War weekend

May 13
Battle of Chalgrove 1643 (BT)
Derek Lester leads a walk over the 1643 battlefield

May 13
Battle of Stratton Commemoration (SK)

May 18
Grimsby
Propaganda and the Pulpit in the English Civil Wars, 1640-1649
Historical Association Grimsby Branch 50th Anniversary Meeting

May 19
Burford
Levellers Day 2012

May 19
Gloucester Folk Museum
English Civil War Day
A series of talks between 10.30am and 4pm, and costing £15, will take place on 'the social history of the English civil war soldier', 'Dorset in the Civil War', 'Artillery of the 17th Century', 'Costume of the 17th and 18th Century' and the 'Siege of Gloucester'.

May 19 - 20
Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, Yorkshire.
Battle re-enactment. (SK)

May 20
Basing House, Hampshire
Visit to Basing House Ruins (BT)
Alan Turton, Chair of the Trust's Wessex Region leads a tour of the ruins.

May 23
Marston Moor, Yorks
Marston Moor walk (BT)
York Archaeological Trusts Battlefields Project Officer and Sealed Knot musketeer Russell Marwood will be a leading a walk over the Marston Moor battlefield.

May 25
Fusilier Museum, the Tower of London
Naseby: The Battle Then and the Battlefield Now
Lunchtime lecture by military history author Martin Marix Evans. Profit from the talk will be donated to the Naseby Battlefield Project.

May 26
Sutton Hoo, Suffolk
Day School: The English Civil War in East Anglia
Dr Andrew Lacey leads a day school covering topics such as the Eastern Association, the origins of the New Model Army, the Saffron Walden debates, William Dowsing, Matthew Hopkins and the siege of Colchester.

May 26
Wigan, Lancashire.
Battle re-enactment (SK)

May 26
Brimscombe and Thrupp playing fields, Stroud
Re-enactment as part of the Grand Village Fête (ECWS)

Jun 2 - 4
Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire
Large battle re-enactment (SK)

Jun 9
The Wallace Collection, London
Costumed Talk: The Life of an English Civil War Soldier
Learn what life was life for a soldier during the English Civil War. This talk will be delivered in costume and will include the opportunity to handle original artefacts.

Jun 16
Lyme Regis
Parade, demonstrations and thanksgiving supper
Annual parade to mark the lifting of the 1644 Siege of Lyme Regis.

June 16 - 17
Arlington Court, Devon.
Living history, displays and small battle re-enactment (SK)
Commemoration of the Battle of Arlington on its 370th anniversary.

Jun 16 - 17
Naseby Memorial, Northamptonshire.
Parade, displays and small battle re-enactment (SK)

Jun 16 - 17
Llangan, South Wales.
Battle re-enactment (SK)

Jun 21
Gainsborough Old Hall
Gainsborough in the English Civil War
A talk by Paul Howitt-Cowan on Gainsborough's role in the English Civil War. The lecture will mark the end of a walk to raise funds for the new National English Civil War Centre in Newark.

Jun 23
Newbury
Newbury information panel unveiling (BT)
Richard Benyon MP will unveil a new interpretation panel to commemorate the the First Battle of Newbury. After the ceremony, which will take place on the Recreation Ground, Wash Common, Newbury RG14 6QU, there will be a short talk about the battle by historian and guide Chris Scott.

Jun 23 - 24
Castle Bytham, Lincolnshire.
Small battle re-enactment. (SK)

Jun 23 - 24
Ackworth, Yorkshire.
Small battle re-enactment (SK)

Jun 23 - 24
Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire.
Living history, displays small battle re-enactment (SK)

Jun 26 - July 1
Chalke Valley History Festival
Major history festival with an English Civil War discussion at 2pm on the Sunday afternoon. Chaired by Dave Musgrove from BBC History magazine, the panel members are John Adamnson, Micheál Ó Siochrú, and Blair Worden.

Jun 30 - July 1
University of Leicester
The Fairfax 400th Anniversary Conference
A two day inter-disciplinary conference to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Jun 30 - Jul 1
Long Marston, Yorkshire
Living history, drill, march and service (SK)
The Sir Thomas Glemham's Regiment will present an English Civil War weekend of Living History, Drill Displays and Cameo performances.

Jun 30 - Dec 31
Dunelm Gallery, Durham
Restoration: how one man changed Durham
An exhibition celebrating Bishop John Cosin's life and achievements through the English Civil War and into the 1660s, when he embarked on major construction and restoration projects, including the building of his library on Palace Green.

Jul 1
Marston Moor, Yorks
Marston Moor walk (BT)
York Archaeological Trusts Battlefields Project Officer and Sealed Knot musketeer Russell Marwood will be a leading a walk over the Marston Moor battlefield.

Jul 1
West London
Battles of Brentford and Turnham Green (BT)
Simon Marsh and Stephen Porter will explain how the citizens of London rallied to the Parliamentarian cause and halted the Royalist advance on London in the autumn of 1642.

Jul 12-15
Latitude Festival, Suffolk
New play: Stand Up Diggers All
A new play about the English Civil War, running as part of the Latitude Festival.

Jul 14 - 15
Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire.
Battle re-enactment arena display (SK, ECWS)

Jul 14 - 21
Oxford University
Divine Right to Diggers: Political Ideas and the English Civil War
Week-long course called as part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. Tutor Dr Andrew Lacey will lead the group in considering a variety of political ideas generated during the English Civil War, from Filmer's absolutism to Harrington's republicanism, naturally including the ideas of the Levellers and Diggers!

Jul 15
Devizes
English Civil War Family Day (SK)
Wiltshire Heritage Museum hosts a family day as part of the Festival of British Archaeology. Come face-to-face with English Civil War soldiers, take part in a pike drill and try 17th century craft activities, including herb bags, windmill toys and clay face jugs.

Jul 21 - 22
Isle of Anglesey, Wales.
Living history and display. (SK)

Jul 28
Newark
Newark Castle (ECWS)
Drill and Living History displays by members of Colonel Robert Overton's regiment.

Jul 28
Chester
Civil War Chester (BT)
Bob Burgess will lead a walk of English Civil War Chester.

Jul 28 - 29
Tutbury, Staffordshire
Re-enactment of the Siege of Tutbury Castle, 1646

Jul 28 - 29
Sledmere House, Yorkshire.
Battle re-enactment. (SK)

Aug 5
Naseby, Northants.
Battle of Naseby 1645 Study Day (BT)
Meet at Naseby Village Hall NN6 6DP for 11 am. A member of the Naseby Battlefield Project will give a presentation on the battle and plans for a Visitors Centre followed, after lunch, by a walk over the battlefield.

Aug 5 - 6
Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire
Living history and display (SK)

Aug 6 - 10
Audley End House and Gardens, Essex
Time Travellers Go ... Cavaliers & Roundheads
Pikes at the ready! Join Oliver Cromwell's army and discover what it took to be a soldier of the English Civil War. Then test your agility in the children's battle and learn to use a pike in the soldiers' drill. Children can also learn all about the castle's exciting Civil War history in a family fun trail around the grounds.

Aug 11 - 12
Chester, Lancashire
Battle re-enactment, living history camp (SK)

Aug 11 - 12
Bentley, Sussex
A camp of Cavaliers (ECWS)
Sir Thomas Tyldesley’s Regiment of Foote will be setting up a 17th century military camp. Pikemen, musketeers & artillery, drill displays, drums and skirmishes. A daily camp life in action – cooking, drinking, music, spinning and more.

Aug 11 - 12
Fort George, Nairn, Scotland
Living History Camp & Display (SK)

Aug 11 - 12
Oxford
Oxford Castle (ECWS)
A small living history and drill display in the grounds of Oxford Castle.

Aug 12
Maidstone, Kent
Walking tour of the town to study one of the main uprisings that marked the Second English Civil War: the Battle of Maidstone that took place on 1 June 1648. (BT)

Aug 18 - 19
St Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff
“Pobl y Pentref" (People of the Village) (ECWS)
The English Civil War Society will portray the People of the Village (Pobl y Pentref) coming to terms with the impact of the Civil Wars on their families, community and the country.

Aug 25 - 27
Glynde House, East Sussex
The Glynde Epic (SK)
Large battle re-enactment, living history camp & displays. Two huge armies of Royalists and Roundheads muster in the vast, rolling parkland of historic Glynde Place near Lewes in East Sussex. Here they will stage an awesome re-enactment of an English Civil War battle daily on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Aug 25 - 27
Kent Showground
Military Odyssey
2000 of history in action. The closest you'll get to history short of a time machine. The ECWS will be presenting battle, drill and living history displays.

Sept 1
Gloucester
Gloucester History Festival - parades
Two parades are taking place in the city centre to celebrate the lifting of the Siege of Gloucester in 1643.

Sept 2
Revolution House, Chesterfield
Music from the English Civil War
Squeake's Noyse present 17th century music played on authentic instruments of the time.

Sept 4
Highnam, Gloucestershire
Highnam and Elmore Courts – A unique insight into living in these historical stately homes
Talk about Highnam Court, which was rebuilt in 1648 after the original house was damaged in the English Civil War. Part of the Gloucester History Festival.

Sept 6 - 8
Gloucester
Siege of Gloucester walk
Part of the Gloucester History Festival.

Sept 8 - 9
Warrington
Walton Hall Gardens Country Fayre (ECWS)
Skirmishes, drills and Living History displays organised by the Baggage Trayne of the Roundhead Association, supported by Colonel Edward Montagu's Regiment (Roundhead Association) and Sir Marmaduke Rawdon's Regiment (King's Army).

Sept 15
Leeds, Royal Armouries
The English Civil Wars: The politics, equipment and archaeology
One-day conference with special emphasis on investigations into arms/equipment and on knowledge of battles made possible by recent advances in battlefield archaeology.

Sep 15 - 16
Corfe Castle, Dorset
English Civil War Garrison
Lord Hopton's Regiment of Foote will be demonstrating all aspects of 17th century encampment, including drills and weapon displays.

Sep 15 - 16
Fernhurst, West Sussex
Living history, displays and small battle re-enactment (SK)

Sep 15 - 16
Thornhill, Yorkshire
Living history, displays and small battle re-enactment (SK)

Sep 16
Aldebourne, Wiltshire
Aldebourne Chase 1643 (BT)
Author of 'Gloucester and Newbury 1643' Jon Day will lead a walk across this important cavalry action which allowed the royalists to block the parliamentarian advance at Newbury and brought about the battle there. The walk is around 3.5 miles across rough terrain and numbers are limited to 15 due to parking restrictions. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The walk will end in Aldbourne with a pub lunch.

Sep 22 - 23
Belbroughton, Worcestershire.
Living history, displays and small battle re-enactment (SK)

Sept 29 - 30
Sherwood Forest, Notts.
Sherwood Through The Ages (ECWS)
Multi-period event which commemorates the history of the forest and those who lived, and in the case of the military, trained and fought there. Includes English Civil War display.

Sept 30
Newbury
1st Battle of Newbury 1643 (BT)
Meet at The Gun Pub, 142 Andover Road, Wash Common, RG14 6NE, for lunch. Followed at 2pm by a walk around one of the English Civil War’s hardest fought battles.

Oct 6
Worcester
Battles of Powick Bridge 1642 and Worcester 1651 (BT)
This walk will be in two parts, with the morning concentrating on the Battle of Powick Bridge and the western part of the Battle of Worcester and the afternoon looking at the centre and eastern parts of the Battle of Worcester.

Oct 7
Oxford
Oxford Satellite Garrisons 1642-1646 (BT)
Gregg Archer will lead a driving tour of the Civil War garrisons around Oxford.Meet 10:30 am at All Saints Church, Church End, Hillesden MK18 4DB. Tour to end with lunch at a local pub.

Oct 13
National Army Museum, London
Army Medicine: From Leeches to Lasers (Part One)
First of a pair of talks on army medicine and its evolution, from leeches to lasers. Part One covers medicine in the English Civil War.

Oct 14
Ripple, Worcestershire
Memorial Service (SK)

Oct 14
Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Great Hampden, Buckinghamshire
John Hampden Society - Service of Commemoration
Morning service with music and readings which could have been performed at the time of John Harnpden.

Oct 20 - 21
Edgehill, Warwickshire.
Anniversary Parade and Skirmish (SK)

Oct 27 - 28
Upton House and Gardens, Banbury
English Civil War displays
The Battle of Edgehill was fought within earshot of Upton. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the English Civil War with displays by the Fairfax Battalia.

Oct 26 - 28
University of Cambridge, Institute of Continuing Education
Royal Newmarket: The Story of Two Royal Palaces
Mr John Sutton and Dr Andrew Lacey will lead a week-end course examining the story of James I's and Charles II's respective hunting-lodges, concentrating on their architecture and lay-out as well as their builders (Inigo Jones, Sir Christopher Wren and William Samwell). The course will also include a visit to Newmarket to explore the sites of the two palaces as well as to see an exhibition on their history in the National Horse-Racing Museum.

Nov 14
Shropshire Archives, Castle Gates, Shrewsbury
Shropshire Soldiers who fought for Parliament, 1642-1660
Friends of Shropshire Archives' annual lecture given by Prof. Malcolm Wanklyn, Emeritus Professor of Regional History at the University of Wolverhampton.

Nov 17
Leconfield Hall, Market Square, Petworth
The English Civil War at First Hand
Historian and MP Tristram Hunt talks about his most recent study of the English Civil War.

November 30
Birkbeck College, London (Birkbeck Early Modern Society event)
Beyond the Closet: Material Props for Domestic Devotion in Post-Reformation England
Dr Tara Hamling, Malet St, room B02

December 14
Birkbeck College, London (Birkbeck Early Modern Society event)
Can We Distinguish Science from Magic?
The Second Barry Coward Memorial Lecture: Prof. Brian Vickers,  Malet St, room 532.