Edge Hill, Warwickshire
Encyclopedia
Edge Hill is an escarpment
and hamlet
in the civil parish of Ratley
and Upton
, South Warwickshire, England
.
Edge Hill gave its name to the first battle of the English Civil War
, in which it was a prominent feature.
The hamlet has a public house
, an eccentric building of local Hornton Stone
called the Castle Inn that belongs to the Hook Norton Brewery
.
The battle of Edge Hill was fought on Sunday 23 October 1642 and was the first major battle in the English Civil War
between the Royalist forces of King Charles I
and the Parliamentarian army commanded by the Earl of Essex
.
The King's army started the day on the plateau above the scarp and Parliament's front line was about 2000 metres (2,187.2 yd) away. From Edge Hill, the ground drops steeply, levels out, then rises to Battleton Holt and a little beyond it are the Oaks and Graveground Copice. It was across the latter two that Parliament's army was drawn up ( to ). The King's forces descended from the escarpment and faced them, extended between the end of the spur at Knowle End and Brixfield Farm ( to ). The King's army had to descend from the edge of the escarpment if they wished to engage the Parliamentarians in battle, because the escarpment was far too steep for Essex to consider an attack against the Royalist army while it was on the edge. At the time of the battle, there were far fewer trees. The battle was inconclusive, with both sides claiming victory. It would take several more years and many more battles before the Parliamentarians won the war.
to the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
near Burton Dassett
.
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
and hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the civil parish of Ratley
Ratley
Ratley is a village in the civil parish of Ratley and Upton, South Warwickshire, England. It lies on the north west side of the Edge Hill escarpment about 200m above sea level...
and Upton
Upton, Warwickshire
Upton is a village in south-west Warwickshire, England. It is just off the A46, between Alcester and Stratford-upon-Avon, about a mile east of Alcester....
, South Warwickshire, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Edge Hill gave its name to the first battle of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, in which it was a prominent feature.
The hamlet has a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, an eccentric building of local Hornton Stone
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
called the Castle Inn that belongs to the Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor; mashing at the top, boiling in the middle, fermentation...
.
Battle
The narrow wood on the scarp of Edge Hill, in the south-east overlooks the lower slope and the plain on which the battle was fought.The battle of Edge Hill was fought on Sunday 23 October 1642 and was the first major battle in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
between the Royalist forces of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and the Parliamentarian army commanded by the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
.
The King's army started the day on the plateau above the scarp and Parliament's front line was about 2000 metres (2,187.2 yd) away. From Edge Hill, the ground drops steeply, levels out, then rises to Battleton Holt and a little beyond it are the Oaks and Graveground Copice. It was across the latter two that Parliament's army was drawn up ( to ). The King's forces descended from the escarpment and faced them, extended between the end of the spur at Knowle End and Brixfield Farm ( to ). The King's army had to descend from the edge of the escarpment if they wished to engage the Parliamentarians in battle, because the escarpment was far too steep for Essex to consider an attack against the Royalist army while it was on the edge. At the time of the battle, there were far fewer trees. The battle was inconclusive, with both sides claiming victory. It would take several more years and many more battles before the Parliamentarians won the war.
Ghost sightings
In 1643, following reports of ghostly sightings, the King sent a Royal Commission. to visit the site, where, it is claimed, they saw the two phantom armies fighting in the sky above them.Quarrying
The area around Edgehill has been quarried extensively for stone since the 11th century. Later iron ore was quarried and transported on the Edge Hill Light RailwayEdge Hill Light Railway
The Edge Hill Light Railway, one of Colonel Stephens' railways, was in Warwickshire, England. It was designed to carry iron ore from Edge Hill Quarries to Burton Dassett where a junction was made with the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. It was never officially opened, but began...
to the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
The Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway was a small independent railway company which ran a line across the empty, untouched centre of England. It visited the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and a little of Buckinghamshire, only existing as the SMJR from 1909 to...
near Burton Dassett
Burton Dassett
Burton Dassett is a parish and shrunken medieval village in Warwickshire. Much of the area is now the Burton Dassett Hills country park. It was enclosed for sheep farming by Sir Edward Belknap at the end of the 15th century....
.