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In addition to the annual event featuring a battle of an hour or so, staged by the
Sealed
Knot as part of the January 25th Holly Holy Day event on Mill
Island, the additional battle would rage over two days in what the Nantwich
Guardian (August 4th, 2005, edition) describes as "an authentic full-scale
re-enactment" of the battle.
The "fighting" would take place on the land where the original
skirmishes occurred in January 1644 - that is, the Reaseheath and
Henhull areas.
The idea is being proposed by the recently formed Nantwich Now Market Town
Project who have been talking to the Holly Holy Day Society in town and
the Sealed Knot. The suggested date is the summer of 2007.
While 200 or so troops take part in the winter event, around 1,000 would
be in action for what the Sealed Knot calls "a major muster".
And rather than being billeted in Malbank school on the nights before
and after the re-enactment, the soldiers would be camping on the
battlefields - just as the real 17th century soldiers
did. |
The
background to the battle
THE
Battle of Nantwich was fought during the Civil War in which Oliver
Cromwell's Parliamentarian armies faced King Charles I's Royalist
soldiers after the king tried to wrest control of running the country
from Parliament.
The MPs of the day were having none of that and internal strife followed
- often putting members of the same family on opposite sides.
Nantwich was on the Parliamantarian's side, and after a six-week siege
of the town by the Royalists, Sir Thomas Fairfax, leader of more than
2,500 Parliamentarian soldiers, brought his men in to save the town. As
a mark of the great day, Nantwich people started to wear a sprig of
holly in their clothing on January 25 - or Holly Holy Day as it became
known.
Over the years, this stopped happening, but in 1972 a local
historian, the late Percy Corry, brought back the practice. There was
also a wreath-laying ceremony to remember those who died in the battle
and the siege. The first re-enactment of the battle took place in 1973.
Ever since then, the battle has been re-enacted on the Saturday nearest to
January 25th, and wreaths are laid. |
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The
battle re-enactment in January takes part in the afternoon as part of
the day's programme, but in the extended battle proposal events would
happen as near as possible to the actual time in 1644.
I am all for events
which bring more tourists to this wonderful town, but I must admit to a
couple of reservations about the idea. The present battle site - Mill Island, as I
said - is conveniently situated off Waterlode, the town's inner ring road,
just a musket shot's distance - or so - from Nantwich Square. It is easily
reached on foot in a matter of a few minutes.
But the Reaseheath and Henhull sites are on the edges of town (obviously)
and would need a bus service to be laid on and/or a large car park on the
site. Or a combination of the two in a Park 'n' Ride service. I am not
sure that this would not put off visitors.
There is an admission-by-ticket policy on Mill Island, with
screens erected around the site to prevent people sneaking a free view
from across the River Weaver. But many miles of screening would be needed
in the proposed sites if a similar practice was followed - and these would be useless in preventing people
standing on the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal from seeing what was
going on, although admittedly their view would be a distant one.
I understand that the Battle of Nantwich is the only winter re-enactment
staged by the Sealed Knot. It cannot be much fun putting on a show in
bitterly cold weather - and standing watching it is no picnic either! - but
wouldn't engaging in a full-scale fight (a bit like a rugby scrum that has
got out of hand) be equally unpleasant for the opposite reason in blazing
sunshine?
There is something very fitting
- not to say unique - about having a commemoration of a piece of our
history when we do - in January, so I am pleased to hear that the winter
event will continue. I
am not trying to denigrate the idea, and I do know that the powers-that-be
have been doing a lot of
work since early 1990 to try to get a "Big Battle of Nantwich"
off the ground - according to the Nantwich Chronicle of August 10. Such a
battle would cost £50,000 to put on, says the newspaper. I
understand that a "Big Battle" would be a one-off.
Cllr Howard Curran, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council's portfolio holder
for local activities, "totally" supports the idea. It would - he
says in the Chronicle - "not only benefit our tourism economy but
would inform the public and schoolchildren about our priceless
history."
Well, that has got to be a good thing.
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 Beverley
Cope (right), Manager of the Nantwich Now Market Town Project, told me: "The Holly Holy Day
event will continue to be
held each year on the appropriate commemorative date. We definitely want
to keep it this way. The major muster will be a one off and the timing is
down to exactly what you said: the weather.
"The key reason behind the major muster is obvious – it would be a
darn good two-day event and an accurate historical representation for all
to enjoy. Thinking ahead though – if we can encourage an additional
8,000+ visitors we are more likely to capture this market for subsequent
years and therefore ensure that the traditional Holly Holy Day event continues to be
as successful (if not more so). We also would like to promote the other
Nantwich events to this new set of tourists and hopefully increase the
economic benefits for the entire town.
"Other
venues that have held such an event have attracted over 16,000 people and
in some cases 19,000 people. None of them have made a loss, which is quite
an achievement. We will endeavour to make sure that ours follows this
tradition."
Thanks for that, Beverley. Yes, I see that my reservations may be a little
premature. Let battle commence!
[Picture used by kind
permission of Beverley Cope.]
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lThe
Nantwich Now Market Town Project was a three-year venture aimed at
"bringing a wealth of additional benefits to Nantwich and the
surrounding rural areas." Local people, organisations and businesses
were consulted about four themes: Environment, Economy, Social and
Community, and Transport and Accessibility. The project no longer exists
after Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council ceased to be and was
superseded by Cheshire East Council.
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l On
a separate point, see this letter about an idea
I have just had about a small Battle of Nantwich incorporating the
Sealed Knot.
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Letters index |
Letter 28 | Letter 36
| Letter 61 | Big
Battle of Nantwich |
Official Holly Holy Day website |
