The English Civil Wars

Tour Introduction

This eight-day tour of England takes us to the scenes of all the major battles: Edgehill, Marston Moor and Naseby; the King’s capital of Oxford; the wonderful cities of York and Worcester; key fortresses and houses; and the sites of many other the key battles and sieges. We start in Oxford and finish in the northern city of York, both with their rich Civil War histories, and nowadays with excellent rail and air links.

Background

The English Civil Wars (1642-51) comprised the deadliest conflict ever fought on British soil. Although much historical attention has focused on the events in England and the key battles of Edgehill, Marston Moor and Naseby, this was a conflict that engulfed the entirety of the Three Stuart Kingdoms, led to a trial and execution of the King, the establishment of a Republic, and profoundly shaped the history of Britain and Ireland. Churchill, in his History of the English-Speaking Peoples, wrote of the English Civil War that ‘underlying the apparently clear-cut constitutional issue was a religious and class conflict’. Suggesting that one of the main drivers was based on class and material considerations is both misleading and unhelpful; yet this vision of the wars as David (in the guise of the Parliamentarians) rising up against Goliath (the Royalists) pervades. This was simply not the case. In the English Civil War brother fought against brother, and father against son and nothing has imprinted itself so deeply on the nation’s memory as the national civil struggle of the mid-17th Century.

**This tour will include a special visit to the battlefield at Naseby guided by the Naseby Battlefield Project and including access to areas not open to the public**

What's Included

• 3 & 4 Star Hotels
• 4 Star Hotels
• Dedicated Tour Manager
• Expert historians throughout providing a daily variety of talks, presentations and Q&A
• Entrance fees for sites included in itinerary
• The company of like-minded travelers
• Dinner parties hosted by your expert historians and tour manager
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Two drinks i,e wine or beer at each dinner and a welcome drink on first evening
• Helpful and friendly travel advice
• Tour information booklet
• Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned coach

Itinerary