The Battle of Naseby,
14 June 1645
The battle of Naseby was the decisive fight of the English Civil War. Here Parliament's New Model Army defeated the forces of King Charles. The Royalist infantry was destroyed, almost entirely killed or captured, and the cavalry was severely damaged. Without a field army at his command, the king's attempt to impose autocratic rule was over.
Naseby ranks with Hastings and Bosworth as a turning point in English history.
For decades a simple story has been told about the fight, but the investigations by local metal detectorists revolutionized our understanding. Their carefully recorded findings showed that the battle extended both north and south of the supposed scene of conflict and clarified the location of a number of well-recorded incidents. These findings have informed published work from 1995 onwards, as have researches in various archives. The work of scholars, amateur and professional, continues to refine and improve our understanding.
The account presented here is based upon -
- Memoirs of those present
- Histories written soon afterwards
- Studies of military manuals of the time
- Archaeological analysis of metal detectorists' finds
- The practical findings of re-enactors
- Study of the history of the landscape
- Field research on the ground
The result is a working hypothesis - a story that seems to fit the facts. It is not scientific truth - it could be mistaken in detail or even at large. Even those who created this site disagree on various aspects of the history! But alternative interpretations need evidence and it may be there to be found. We invite you to join the exploration of this landscape and this crucial event in English history - an essential stepping-stone on the path to the way we live today.
