Discover History

Book your place on Tuesdays 'Secrets of the Old Town' walking tour. Its surprising how much history is located in just two streets. Tickets cost £7.50 per person.

https://discover-history.co.uk/shop/ols/products/secrets-of-the-old-town-tour-on-tuesday-16th-june-at-1030am?fbclid=IwdGRjcASZX5VjbGNrBJlfg2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHq7TiMPTDvrvLrxCh5SeqFmENqBER0n2t6ZhdYMoaVSN7wBI2Kb3RPY3at6Z_aem_ZAnoeu0TfioL3k5uDPNyvQ

380 years ago - In retaliation for the recent Skirmish on the West Bank, the Parliamentarians unleash a massive bombardment on the City. Several people are killed and injured. An elderly couple are killed in bed, when cannon shot hit the Trinity Almshouses.

Today, we visited another school Young Archaeologist Club. This session looked at Castle design. It encouraged the group to find Castles for different periods, and see how they have changed over time.

380 years ago - A large force of Royalists, sally out from the Bridge Bastion to dislodge the Parliamentarians on the West Bank. They succeed, killing around 100 men. Three captured colours are displayed on Bridge Gate and the Cathedral Tower.

Book your place on the 'Secrets of the Old Town' walking tour on Tuesday. This tour looks at Friar Street and New Street. These two Medieval streets are often seen as our Heritage Streets. Tickets cost £7.50 per person.

https://discover-history.co.uk/shop/ols/products/secrets-of-the-old-town-tour-on-tuesday-16th-june-at-1030am

- 380 years ago, Worcester began to stockpile food and drink ready for the inevitable encirclement of the City by Parliament forces. This would cut the City off from all external supplies of food and drink. Sieges often ended as people began to starve! Most dry and liquid supplies were stored in convex or pot bellied wooden containers, made from individual staves that were carefully cut with wooden hoops to hold them together. The names Barrel, Cask, Butt, Keg, and Vat, to name just a few refer to their size and contents. They are mainly called Barrels, despite the fact a 'Barrel' technically holds 36 Gallons of liquid, such as Beer. They were often recycled by the Cooper when they were emptied. Most Barrels were broken down into their component parts. The staves, hoops and ends, known as Heads, and Headers were stored ready to be rebuilt and refilled later. This was a very common practice on ships where space was restricted. Some were recycled and sunk into the ground as a toilet or filled with soil on the City defences, acting as bullet stoppers! These containers have been the main holder for goods since Ancient times. Wooden barrels often carried foodstuffs such as salted fish, beer, honey, butter, apples, raisins, nuts, malt, beans, peas, grain, barley, oats, salted meat, cider, perry, wine, mead, and even plain fresh water. In the 19th Century Iron hoops became common and highly prized by children as an alternative to the official toy hoop. Today, Barrels are also made of plastic and aluminium. Did you know early gun 'Barrels' were made using several Iron staves, and rings, hence the name 'Gun Barrel'. Casting Gun Barrels happened later in history! Today wooden Barrels can be seen in gardens as planters and even as quirky stools in pubs.

Today we visited our friends in St Johns Church. This month Paul explained, and illustrated the St Johns Heritage Trail. This looks at 2,000 years of habitation across the 'Village in the City.'

The Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum has a new page. Please give it a 'like' and 'follow'. This is one of our fine County Regiments.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1E8MgehDNY/

380 years ago - Following the requests from a Parliamentarian Trumpeter, a party of Royalists carry the body of Captain Wheeler to Rogers Hill. Captain Wheeler was shot in the head in a Skirmish in St Johns. Both sides end up drinking together for 2 hours!

- We have looked at the upgrade of the city defences during the English Civil Wars. However, we have not looked at the enemy siege lines that were built to attack Worcester. We have diary accounts from Henry Townsend, correspondence between Officers, and even Archaeology to explain what these were like. Siege lines are built when a city, castle or fortified house is attacked over a prolonged period of time. 17th Century siege lines were not constructed during the 1st siege of Worcester in 1643. This siege lasted only 2-3 days, and led to the Parliamentarians attacking the weak Southern defences. In 1646, the Parliamentarian, Colonel Whalley, arrived at Worcester on 19th May and occupied Redhouse, on what we now call Rainbow Hill. This is the area now occupied by Elgar Court. Initially, Whalley was told by Cromwell and Fairfax to simply limit the movement of the garrison in Worcester. This was done with Cavalry patrols, in particular by mounted Musketeers known as Dragoons. A camp of shelters and makeshift shacks was built in this area. Tents were not usually issued to soldiers. As May continued and other cities and castles fell to Parliament, more men arrived on the East of the city. Siege lines were then built. This was done by digging ditches and trenches to give protection to the Infantry taking up their positions. Excavated soil was used to make protective banks. These were often covered in sharpened stakes. Gun platforms were also created. These were levelled areas that were planked to prevent guns getting bogged down in poor weather. To add further protection, Gabions and planked screens were also built. Gabions involved wooden stakes being hammered into the soil, with Willow woven between the stakes. Stones and compacted soil are then placed in them. Modern tests have shown them to be effective at stopping musket and pistol shot. By the start of June, 380 years ago, the siege lines ran North from Roger Hill to Wheeler's Hill and Barbourne. They also ran South across the hills to Elbury Woods, Tolladine, Ronkswood, Perry Wood, Red Hill and Windmill Hill overlooking Diglis Meadow. This was a major undertaking involving hand digging, felling trees and relentless carrying of resources. Some carpenters are mentioned as being brought to the city and set to work on more complicated tasks. When Ludlow fell, a large force of Parliament soldiers arrived near Henwick Hill and received a bloody nose from the Royalists. However they also began to create siege lines nearby. To link them to the East bank a boat bridge was created, crossing the Severn at Pitchcroft Meadow. Siege Manuals always advise surrounding the target to prevent supplies and reinforcements from going in. Artillery is then used to lower moral, kill defenders, and create breaches in the defences. Attacks made by Musketeers and Pikemen, armed with Fire Pikes and Bills, could then gain entry. Fire Pikes were standard Pikes holding a flammable charge, used to set alight to wooden defences. Bills are agricultural implements mounted on 6ft staves. A hook, spike and chopping edge can dismantle defences, kill defenders and pull apart barricades. Musketeers and dismounted Cavalry often joined attacks carrying Grenados too. These clay pots were filled with gunpowder and had fuses, to be lit and thrown. Garrisons usually surrender as a result of disease, starvation or being out of supplies. Statistically, very few fall as a result of a full blown assault. Following the siege in the Summer of 1646, some of the siege lines were filled in and dismantled. Some were redug in 1651, when the Scots turned up and Cromwell mounted guns around the city again. Some of the earthworks are still visible today. They can be found in Elbury Woods, Tamar Close, and Ronkswood Meadow. From some of these positions, the range to Worcester feels too far away. However, many cannon could easily hit targets around three quarters of a mile away.