| Where: | Radway, Warwickshire- at the Monument on the B4086 and The Castle Inn at Edgehill (formerly at Kineton Sports & Social Club at Little Kineton) |
| When: | Wreath laying and Parade Sunday near 23rd October; re-enactment on the Weekend near 23rd October (usually- see Helpful Hints) |
| Time: | March 11 am and wreath laying 11.30 approx and re-enactment and entertainments from 4pm |
The Battle of Edgehill was the first major engagement of the English Civil War and was fought on 23rd October 1642 between the forces of King Charles I and Parliament; though thousands of men were killed, the battle was indecisive and the war continued for several years. A battle re-enactment takes place during the Saturday afternoon with living history displays, skirmishes, demonstrations of weapons, and of course the recreation of the Battle of Edgehill itself; the re-enactment is now on a Saturday near the anniversary at the Castle Inn (in earlier years it was held at the Sports Club at Kineton on both Saturday and Sunday). Every year on the Sealed Knot, the oldest and biggest re-enactment group in the UK, march in full costume and armour to the battlefield for a service and wreath-laying ceremony on the Sunday nearest the anniversary, to remember those who gave their lives in the conflict. The Sealed Knot still commemorate the battle with their memorial service and wreath laying but as the site is on MOD property only members may attend; in addition the Battlefields Trust organise walks around the battlefield near the October date.
Helpful Hints
In 2026 the parade and wreath laying will be on Sunday 25 October for Sealed Knot members only (it’s a tricky thing to find out about so I’ll be doing my best to see if there’s anything planned for members of the public to witness). The Battlefields Trust walk will be on Sunday 18th October (follow link below for details) and the re-enactment of the Battle should be at The Castle Inn on Saturday 24th October at 4pm, with music and a hog roast to follow.
2024 it the re-enactment was on Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th September at Kineton (much earlier than normal in the hopes of decent weather) and from 2025 the event at the Club will no longer take place as it’s moved location to the Castle Inn.
This event deserved to be much better known – it was well organised, family friendly and excellent value.When we went it was very easy to get a good view of all the action and to chat with the participants – the Surgeon was a highlight for us!
All are welcome at the brief wreath-laying ceremony at the battle monument on the B4086 at the bottom of the hill but please note that the Sealed Knot memorial service to the battle is on restricted access MOD land and is a members only event. The Castle Inn on top of Edgehill has a permanent display on the battle, as well as food & drink.
Click here for the Battlefields Trust:https://www.battlefieldstrust.com
For the Castle Inn click here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The%20Castle%20at%20Edgehill/119521911975223/
and here: https://castleatedgehill.co.uk
For the Sealed Knot website click here : http://www.thesealedknot.org.uk/
Check out the dedicated edgehill battle website at http://www.battleofedgehill.org
Thanks for sending me the details of the Battle of Edgehill website – it’s fascinating. I’ve just dipped into it so far but can see that it will be really useful to anyone visiting the site, particularly as it’s so well illustrated. I’ve put a link onto my webpage for the anniversary Commemoration of the Battle to make it easy for visitors to find,
Best Wishes,
Averil
i need to know where to buy the tickets or is it pay on the gate
It’s pay at the gate – well worth going.
Best wishes,
Averil