St Mary’s Church in Acton have organised ‘Holly Holy Day’ Battle of Nantwich events on Saturday 27th January 2024.
They will take place on the same day as The Sealed Knot stage their parade and battle re-enactment in Nantwich.
The church will be open from 9am until 11:30am serving hot drinks and buttered toast.
At 10am Mike Lea, local historian, will give a talk: ‘The Civil War – Unwrapped!’ inside the church.
At 11am a guided walk will head off to view the battlefields without treading through the muddy fields!
A representative from St Mary’s Church, Acton said: “Mike Lea (historian), brings a deeper understanding to the events leading up to the Civil War and particularly, the significance of the Battle of Nantwich.”
The Sealed Knot plan to send some of their soldiers up to the church.
The ‘Battle of Nantwich’ occurred during the first English Civil War (1642-1646) and was fought between the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and the Royalists (Cavaliers) who were loyal to Charles I.
At the end of 1643, the Royalist Army had secured much of the North West and Cheshire with the exception of Nantwich where, surrounded by Royalists, the Parliamentarian garrison held out under siege.
Namptwiche, as it was then called, was Cheshire’s second major town and very important due to its strategic position on the road to Chester.
A Parliamentarian force under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax (1612-71) advanced from Lincolnshire to relieve the town.
This army engaged the Royalists in the Henhull area to the west and defeated them in the Battle of Namptwiche.
As Fairfax’s forces marched on Acton, Col Richard Gibson deployed four Royalist regiments of infantry to meet them.
The Royalists fell back to Acton Church where Col Gibson surrendered to Fairfax. Many of the Officers took refuge in Acton Church and were also taken prisoner after surrendering.
The battle took place on 25th January 1644 and it was a Parliamentarian victory.
To celebrate the Parliamentarian victory people wore sprigs of holly in their hair and hats.
For further enquiries, contact Stephan Davies Tel. 07731800663.
(pics by Jonathan White)
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