English Civil War: Edgehill to Naseby

In August 1642 Charles I chose Nottingham as the rallying point for his armies, and the English Civil War began here in earnest. Once the King moved on, Parliamentarians under John Hutchinson made the castle rock defensible and repulsed several Royalist attacks. They were the last group to hold it. In 1651, two years after the King's execution, the castle was razed so it could never be used again. The pin marks the castle rock in Nottingham.

Location precision: The sources name Nottingham and its castle, not the exact spot where the King gathered his forces; the pin marks Nottingham Castle.

The Battle of Edgehill was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642. On the right flank, Prince Rupert gave the order to attack and the Parliamentarian horse broke. But the Royalist cavalry chased them to Kineton and fell out to loot the baggage, leaving their own infantry exposed. Neither army gained a decisive advantage, and the war that followed lasted four years.

Location precision: The battle spread across fields between the escarpment and Kineton; the pin marks the Edge Hill area, not one exact spot.

Marston Moor, an expanse of wild meadow west of York, saw the largest battle of the civil wars. Prince Rupert had relieved the besieged city, but the allied armies struck at about 7:30 pm, just as a thunderstorm broke over the moor. Oliver Cromwell was slightly wounded in the neck. Approximately 4,000 Royalist soldiers were killed, and the King soon lost the north of England.

Location precision: The fighting covered a wide stretch of moor; the pin marks the Marston Moor area, not a single point.

On 14 June 1645 the New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell destroyed the main Royalist army near Naseby in Northamptonshire. The morning was foggy. When Charles tried to ride to rescue his centre, he was stopped by a hand on his bridle and the words: "Would you go upon your death, Sire?" The captured royal papers were printed as The King's Cabinet Opened, and the defeat ended any real hope of Royalist victory, although Charles did not surrender until May 1646.

Location precision: The battle lines stretched across ridges and fields around Naseby; the pin marks the village area.

Charles I's execution was scheduled for 30 January 1649. On Whitehall, a scaffold had been erected in front of the Banqueting House. At about 2 pm he put his head on the block and was beheaded in one clean stroke. The building, begun in 1619 and designed by Inigo Jones, is a national monument open to the public and run by Historic Royal Palaces.

Visitor guidance: Open to the public on Whitehall in central London.