Experience the historic Battle of Southam this weekend

Southam is stepping back more than 370 years in time this weekend to bring back to life a voracious battle.
Scenes like this will be acted out in Southam this weekend.Scenes like this will be acted out in Southam this weekend.
Scenes like this will be acted out in Southam this weekend.

Inspired by the events of the Battle of Southam, which took place during the English Civil War, members of living history group The Sealed Knot will march troops and stage skirmishes through the very place where the actual events occurred.

The first Battle of Southam took place on August 23 1642 - two months before the more famous Battle of Edge Hill - and they day after the formal declaration of war by King Charles I.

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The event has been organised by the community and culture team of Southam First, an organisation set up in 2011 to help improve the town centre. Pam McConnell of the organisation, who is coordinating this weekend’s event, said: “The exciting thing about this event is that the Sealed Knot will be enacting incidents from Southam’s history, in the places where those incidents actually happened.

“We’re hoping this event will show visitors what an interesting place Southam is with a fascinating past and lots going on in the present.”

There will be a skirmish between Royalists and Parliamentarians at the town’s Park Lane recreation ground from 2.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, complete with pikes, muskets and cannon fire.

Various venues in the town are hosting traditional craft and heritage displays and activities, including Civil War artefacts, green woodworkers, traditional needlecrafts, beekeeping, pottery, a battle trail quiz and the Sealed Knot’s living history village.

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And on Saturday evening, Immanuel’s Ground Quire period music group are running a workshop and concert at St James church.

People will also be able to buy copies of a book by local author Linda Doyle, who has written about Southam’s involvement in the civil war and the incidents that went on in the town during that period.

For full details, visit southamfirst.org

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