Edge Hill, Warwickshire

Edge Hill (gbmapping|SP373474) is an escarpment and hamlet in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is best known as having been a prominent feature of the site of the first battle of the English Civil War. It gave its name to that battle.

Battle

:"Main article Battle of Edge Hill"getamap|SP364488|Map of the battlefield The narrow wood on the scarp of Edge Hill, in the south-east overlooks the lower slope and the plain on which the battle was fought.

The battle of Edge Hill was fought on 23 October 1642 and was the first major battle in the "English Civil War" between the Royalist forces of King Charles I and the Parliamentarian army commanded by the Earl of Essex.

The King's army started the day on the plateau above the scarp and Parliament's front line was about two kilometres away. From Edge Hill, the ground drops steeply, levels out, then rises to Battleton Holt and a little beyond it are the Oaks and Graveground Copice. It was across the latter two that Parliament's army was drawn up (SP346485 to SP367498). The King's forces descended from the escarpment and faced them, extended between the end of the spur at Knowle End and Brixfield Farm (SP349472 to SP376491). The King's army had to descend from the edge of the escarpment if they wished to engage the Parliamentarians in battle, because the escarpment was far too steep for Essex to consider an attack against the Royalist army while it was on the edge. At the time of the battle, there were far fewer trees. The battle was inconclusive, with both sides claiming victory. It would take several more years and many more battles before the Parliamentarians won the war.

Ghost sightings

According to several sources, just one month after the battle, local farmers and townsfolk heard noises coming from Edgehill. They saw and heard what they thought was another battle being fought on the hill. However, as they edged closer to investigate, it is said that both armies completely vanished. Some sources state that "the horses galloped into thin air". Several officials visited the site of the battle to talk to witnesses, but they were haunted by two visions of the battle. To their horror, they saw colleagues and friends fighting who had died in the actual battle.Fact|date=April 2008Dubious|date=April 2008

Since then, several apparitions and ghostly sightings have been seen at Edgehill, of two phantom armies fighting it out with each other. It is saidWho|date=April 2008 that these sightings are more visible and occur more often toward Halloween. Since the original sighting, clinking of armour, volleys of musket fire and the galloping of hooves can still be heard at Edgehill. [BBC [http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2006/05/24/weird_edgehill_ghosts_feature.shtml Echoes of war still surround Edgehill] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/civil-war/battleview.asp?BattleFieldId=3 Battlefields Trust: Edge Hill]