MEMBERS of the Battle of Winwick Society are this week set to revive the history of a major English Civil War fight in August 1648.
The group will walk the same route taken by a defeated Scottish army as its soldiers marched south to Winwick from a battleground at Preston. Two days later the weary troops had to fight another major conflict on land close to St Oswald’s Church.
The walk will take place along the A49 from Preston to Winwick this Thursday and Friday (5 and 6 September) and precedes the society’s re-enactment event of the Battle of Winwick at St. Oswald’s Church Heritage Weekend on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September.
Paul Wright, Society chairman, said: “The purpose of the walk is to publicise the events of August 17 to 19, 1648, to make people aware of the national significance of the Winwick battle which contributed to the end of the Civil war and in which a parish church became a prison. On 17 August 1648 the Scottish Engager army, supporters of Kings Charles 1st, were defeated at the Battle of Preston. With Cromwell’s army positioned to the north they had no option but to fall back southwards. They followed the A49 route as it was then and after two days with fighting continuing for much of the time, they finally arrived at Winwick. That afternoon on the 19th they were met and defeated in the fields close to St. Oswald’s church by more Cromwell troops. The Battle of Society members are intending to do the walk roughly in the same time scale as the combatants did in 1648, arriving back in Winwick on Friday afternoon.”
The Battle of Winwick Society was formed in 2023 to make the battlefield better known, to protect it from development t and to erect a monument and information boards.
Paul added: “The heritage weekend event will emphasise the church’s role, a place of worship, as a prison for the Scottish soldiers weeks and months after the battle. Re-enactors in costume will help visitors understand the situation that had existed in Winwick in 1648.Weapons, clothing and equipment of the period will be on display. A talk will be given to explain the way in which prisoners of war were handled in this period and the conditions they had to endure.”
Winwick Church Heritage weekend: Battle of Winwick re-enactment
Saturday 7 September 11am to 4pm. Talk by Paul Wright Society chairman 12 noon
Sunday 12 noon to 3pm
