While out shopping on Monday I lunched in the Wickstead Arms. I only went there because the Red Cow does not serve food on Mondays. So it was lucky that on the wall opposite my table was a map showing the location of the Battle of Nantwich in the English Civil War, near to Acton, a small settlement just west of Nantwich.For some time I had thought I might visit Acton, which I had passed through numerous times on the number 84 bus. It was a sunny afternoon and a pleasant walk along the cut and through fields. This is what some of Acton looks like.
Some of the old memorials are remarkably well-preserved given their antiquity. These two are among the oldest I have seen that are fully legible. Their condition is all the more noteworthy as they are laid flat outside the west door.
And now to the battle, which was fought on 25 January 1644. The general situation was that Royalist forces held most of the north west of England, but the Parliamentary garrison was holding Nantwich under siege. Lord John Byron led a force of 3,500 men to try to take the town once and for all. However, he was intercepted by Thomas Fairfax in command of 5,000 troops. After two hours’ fighting the Royalists were roundly defeated.
Closer up in two halves:
Above centre is detail from the lectern. The movements of the Royalists are shown in blue, and the Parliamentarians in red. The picture below is almost on the line of the advance of Warren and Emley, from the left of the map, looking towards Henhull Hall (the same as Henhull Hall Farm back then).
Bigger version:
Andrew's Kindred 