New exhibit on the battle that changed Britain

The story of this battle and why it was important 380 years on is told in a new exhibit, now open at the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon until 4 October.

Naseby was the turning point of the brutal Civil Wars between King Charles I and Parliament that tore Britain and Ireland apart in the 1640s. Up to that point neither side had an advantage; afterwards Parliament’s forces were rarely defeated, and the King would be forced to surrender within a year. Parliament’s forces had been commanded at the battle by Sir Thomas Fairfax, with one Oliver Cromwell as his deputy.

The new exhibit looks at the story of the battle, why it took place and its implications. Amongst the highlights on display is a rare original copy of a printed layout map of the battle produced in 1647, at a time when artists rarely illustrated battles. It is one of the few contemporary images of a Civil War battle. Other items include a helmet reputed to have been worn by Cromwell at the battle, and a carving set made by a local farmer from a sword captured at the battle, the hilt for which was carved as far away as Sri Lanka!

Stuart Orme, Curator of the Cromwell Museum says, “Naseby was the testing ground for a new, national army raised by Parliament, the ‘Army, New Modelled’, equipped for the first time in the red coats still worn by its successors in the British Army today. It also handed a propaganda coup to the Parliamentarians in that many of the King’s private papers were captured in his baggage, showing he had been negotiating with foreign governments, which were gleefully published by Parliament in a pamphlet, which we have an original copy of on display”.

The Cromwell at Naseby runs until 4 October during normal museum opening hours, Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10am – 4pm. Admission is free of charge, although donations are encouraged. For more details on this and the museum’s upcoming programmes visit www.cromwellmuseum.org.