Battle exhibition at Radway church

The permanent Battle of Edge Hill exhibition, which has been made possible thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be housed at the back of St Peter’s Church in Radway, which is close to the battlefied site.

Visitors will be able to see artefacts from the battle on October 23, 1642, dummies dressed in battle outfits from the period – including one depicting Captain Henry Kingsmill. There is a memorial dedicated to the captain in the church.

The new displays will include details of the effect of the battle on the local population as well as those directly involved. There will be touchscreen unit showing films that tell the stories of four characters whose lives were changed by the events of 1642.

There will also be columns displaying graphics about the battle and the circumstances leading up to the Civil War and a village trail to follow strategically placed black boxes that contain information about how the village of Radway was involved in the battle.

The exhibition will be officially opened to the public on Saturday October 17.

Each year, Kineton Sports and Social Club hosts a re-enactment of the battle, staged by living history society the Sealed Knot, with living history displays, skirmishes, demonstrations of weapons, cavalry and of course the recreation of the Battle of Edge Hill itself.

This year’s event will take place on October 24 and 25.