| Where: | Radway, Warwickshire- at the Monument on the B4086 and formerly at Kineton Sports & Social Club at Little Kineton |
| When: | Wreath laying and Parade Sunday near 23rd October; re-enactment Formerly the Weekend near 23rd October (usually- see Helpful Hints) |
| Time: | March 11 am and wreath laying 11.30 approx and formerly re-enactments and entertainments from noon with battle at 2pm |
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. Every year on the weekend nearest the anniversery, 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. A battle re-enactment formerly took place on both days of the weekend during the afternoon; there were living history displays, skirmishes, demonstrations of weapons, cavalry and of course the recreation of the Battle of Edgehill itself. 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, and the event no longer takes place at the Sports Club.
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).
2024 it the re-enactment was on Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th September (much earlier than normal in the hopes of decent weather) and from 2025 the event at the Club will no longer take place.
This event deserved to be much better known – it was well organised, family friendly and excellent value.When we went on the Sunday in 2013 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 display on the battle, as well as food & drink.
Admission to the re-enactment in 2013 was £2 plus £1 for parking.
For the venue website click here: http://www.kinetonssc.org.uk and
Facebook page click here : https://www.facebook.com/Kineton.Sports.Social.Club
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