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A Herbert's Travels
Today, my Godson (GS) and I followed the trail taken by King Charles II as he fled the Battle of Worcester into exile.
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 and was the final battle of the English Civil War. The Royalist forces, fighting for King Charles II, were defeated by the Parliamentarian New Model Army, led by Oliver Cromwell. Keen to avoid the fate of his father, King Charles I, who literally lost his head, Charles II escaped with the assistance of his loyal followers. He was led to White Ladies Priory where, with Richard Penderel, he attempted to cross the River Severn near Madeley. Forced to retrace his steps, Charles took refuge at Boscobel House, where he was met by the unfortunately named Colonel William Careless. They spent all day hiding in an Oak Tree, that came to be known as The Royal Oak and is responsible for the name of many pubs. Later, he spent the night in one of the House's priest holes. Charles was then moved to Moseley Old Hall, from where he eventually escaped posing as the servant of Jane Lane of Bentley, before fleeing to mainland Europe. The restoration of the Monarchy followed the political crisis initiated by Cromwell's death in 1658. On his 30th birthday, 29 May 1660, Charles returned to London. We first visited Boscobel House, where a fascinating guided tour revealed the part the house played in the escape of Charles, and it is possible to climb into one of the priest holes. In adjacent field stands a lone oak tree. This is the son of the one that Charles hid in, as the original suffered over the centuries from the actions of souvenir hunters. Looking at this single tree, it is difficult now to image how the King could've remained hidden within a tree. However, it has to be remembered that in the 17th century, the oak in which he hid was in the middle of a wood. Next we moved on to White Ladies Priory, just a mile up the road. Nowadays, this is little move that a few ruins standing in a field. We completed out tour at Moseley Old Hall, where GS took charge of my camera. Built in 1600, it remained the home of the Whitgreave family until 1925. To preserve the house, it was encased in a brick shell, which gives it a more modern look from the outside. Charles arrived here on 8 September and spent two nights in a priest hole, which can still be seen. He was accompanied by the family's Catholic priest, John Huddleston, who cleaned and bandaged the King's feet. So ended a fascinating and enjoyable day.- comments