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THE ENGLISH CIVIL WARS: HISTORY AND STORIES
Discover how the Civil Wars unfolded at English Heritage’s properties – from ferocious sieges to the Isle of Wight castle where Charles I was held prisoner.
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THE SIEGE OF GOODRICH CASTLE
In 1646 Goodrich Castle was the scene of one of the most hard-fought sieges of the first Civil War, which Parliament finally won with the aid of a huge mortar, known as Roaring Meg.
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THE SIEGE OF DONNINGTON CASTLE
Discover how Donnington Castle in Berkshire held out for King Charles I during a 20-month siege in 1644–6, and played a key role in the Second Battle of Newbury.
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CHARLES II AND THE ROYAL OAK
Find out how the future king escaped from Parliamentarian forces after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, giving English history one of its greatest adventure stories.
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BOSCOBEL HOUSE AND THE ROYAL OAK
Visit Boscobel House, where Charles II hid while fleeing Parliamentarian soldiers in 1651. White Ladies Priory, where Charles first arrived after the Battle of Worcester and adopted his disguise, is a short walk away.
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CHARLES I
Read about the man at the centre of the most turbulent period of England’s history, and learn about the history of the statue dedicated to him in Trafalgar Square, London.