52° 09’ 46.27” N
2° 12’ 56.95” W
elev. 22m
Field Report
Notes:
Much of the walk skirts the site of last great battle of the English Civil War fought out in and around Worcester on 3rd September 1651. The forces involved were considerable. The Royalist Army, consisting largely of Scottish regiments numbered around 16000, Cromwell's forces amounted to over 30,000 soldiers. It is thought that around 3000 soldiers were killed. The fiercest hand to hand fighting took place in the meadows around Powick Bridge. These days the countryside consists of large open cornfields; at the time of the battle the fields were smaller and criss-crossed by hedges and narrow lanes. The Scots defended the area hedge by hedge, and only after hours of stalwart resistance were they forced to retreat towards the city after the Parliamentarians re-inforced their positions using pontoon bridges thrown across the river Teme.
The bravery of the Scottish soldiers is commemorated by a plaque at the site, however, in general terms the Civil War is not particularly understood or remembered. When the victors of the American Revolutionary War visited the site in 1786 they were saddened and surprised by a lack of local knowledge:
in early April 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited Fort Royal Hill at the battlefield at Worcester. John Adams wrote that he was "deeply moved" but disappointed at the locals' lack of knowledge of the battle, and gave the townspeople an "impromptu lecture" -
| The people in the neighbourhood appeared so ignorant and careless at Worcester that I was provoked and asked 'And do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbours and your children that this is holy ground, much holier than that on which your churches stand. All England should come in pilgrimage to this hill, once a year. Wikepedia | ||
The Victorian mill building next to Powick Bridge is one of the first examples of a water-driven turbine being used to generate electricity. Not that it generates anything these days, as the entire complex has been converted into 'loft-style' apartments replete with balconies festooned with geraniums, stylish steel-grey patio sets and the odd kettle BBQ or two. Perhaps I'm just over-sensitive, or sentimental, but I don't think I would choose to purchase a luxury flat overlooking the site of such carnage, even if it did occur over 350 years ago.
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