THE MONARCH'S WAY
The Monarch's Way is based on the lengthy route taken by King Charles II during his escape after defeat by Cromwell in the final battle of the Civil Wars at Worcester in 1651, when for six weeks the young royal was hotly pursued by Parliamentary troops. Charles escape from captivity, which included excursions into many counties of the Midlands and Southern England took him from Worcester to Shoreham-on-Sea where he fled the country via Alcester, Stourbridge, Wordsley, White Ladies, Madeley, Boscobel, Moseley Hall, Bentley, Bromsgrove, Wootton Wawen, Snitterfield, Stratford-upon-Avon, Long Marston, Chipping Campden, Moreton in March, Stowe-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Northleach, Cirencester, Tetbury, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, Abbots Leigh, Wells, Castle Carey, Trent, Charmouth, Bridport, Broad Windsor, Yeovil, wincanton, Mere, eale House, Mottisfont, Hambledon, Arundel, Bramber and Brighton.
THE ESCAPE OF KING CHARLES II
The Battle of Worcester was fought on Wednesday September 3rd 1651. When Charles realised the fight was lost, he left the city at 6pm with Lords Wilmot and Derby, Charles Gifford and others. They headed northwards passing close to Kidderminster over Kinlet Heath through Stourbridge to White Ladies Priory on the Giffords' Boscobel estate, arriving at 3am on September 4th. It was here the King met the loyal Penderel brothers; William (tenant at Boscobel House), Richard (who lived with their widowed mother at Hubbal Grange Farm, Humphrey (a miller at White Ladies), John (a woodward) and George (a servant employed on the estate).
For safety, Charles (now dressed as a woodman) hid with Richard Penderel in a nearby wood, Spring Coppice. It rained all day! Lord Derby and others left to rejoin Royalists at Tong. Wilmot went to Brinsford and later on to Moseley Hall. After dark, Richard, aka 'Trusty Dick', took Charles to Hubbal Grange where the King had a meal. Afterwards, he and Richard started for Madeley intending to cross the Severn into Wales. At Evelith Mill, they were challenged by the miller, a Royalist, but not knowing this, they scurried on their way.
At Madeley, Mr. Francis Wolfe offered his barn - the hiding places in the house being too well known - where the King lay amongst the straw all night and the next day (September 5th). The River Severn was very closely guarded so Charles and Richard returned to Boscobel arriving at around 5am on Saturday September 6th. Colonel Carlis had arrived at Boscobel from Worcester. He and the King hid in a nearby oak tree all day whilst round head troops searched the woods below. All night they supped in the house and Charles slept in the hiding place.
The next day, Sunday, September 7th Charles, having said goodbye to Carlis, mounted his horse and accompanied by all five Penderels and Francis Yates their brother-in-law, who were on foot, made their way towards Moseley Hall, home of Mr. Thomas Whitgreave and his mother. On reaching Pendeford Mill, the King dismounted having been advised to complete the journey on foot. William, Humphrey and George returned home with the horse. Richard, John and Francis Yates saw the King safely to the arranged meeting place close to Moseley. Charles was met by Mr. Whitgreave and Fr. Huddleston. Wilmot, already at the hall, holding a light, awaited for him at the foot of the back staircase and immediately hurried him to a room on the first floor. During Monday September 8th, Charles remained in secret hideout at Moseley.
Horses were brought from Col. Lane's house, Bentley Hall, four miles from Moseley. The following day, Tuesday September 9th, Charles watched soldiers from his upstairs window talking to Mr. Whitgreave who earlier that day had repelled Southall 'The Priest Catcher'. At midnight, September 9th-10th, the King left for Bentley Hall. Within a few hours, Charles was dressed as a tenant's son and was riding before Mistress Jane Lane, the colonel's sister, as her manservant 'William Jackson'. Accompanying them were Withy Petre (Jane Lane's sister) and her husband, John, together with kinsman Henry Lascellas, a Royalist officer.
The Royal party's route to Bromsgrove lay via Rowley Regis and Quinton (Howley Grange Farm). On arrival at Bromsgrove it was discovered that the horse ridden by Charles and Jane had cast a shoe. The King took the horse to the blacksmith's. Chatting with the anti-Royalist 'smithy', the King remarked "it was high time that rogue Charles Stuart was taken - he deserves to be hanged if anyone does". From Bromsgrove they reached Wootten Wawen where enemy cavalry were gathered with their horses outside the village inn. Mr and Mrs Petre here left the King and reached Stratford-upon-Avon by another route, whilst Charles and Jane, with localles, rode through the troops on to Stratford and thence to Long Marston to spend the night of September 10th-11th at the house of Mr. John Tames, kinsman of Jane, making it the end of the first weeks wanderings.
Quite the escape route - 615 miles to be exact. The longest inland trail in England!
On Thursday September 11th, the journey continued through Chipping Campden to Cirencester where, it is claimed, the Royal party spent the night of September 11th-12th at the 'Crown Inn'. Proceeding on their way after daybreak, they passed through Chipping Sodbury and Bristol, arriving at Abbotsleigh, the home of Mr and Mrs George Norton (friends of Jane), a little west of Bristol. The King, his identity unknown to his hosts, stayed at Abbotsleigh for three days. Attempts to get a boat from Bristol to the continent failed. Pope, the Norton's butler, recognised Charles through his disguise, having known him as a boy, so the King took him into his confidence. Wilmot, having travelled separately, arrived in the neighbourhood and after dark, he was led by Pope to see the King.
Tuesday September 16th, Charles (still in disguise) set out with his companions to reach Trent House, the residence of Col. Francis Wyndham, a Royalist officer. During the night of September 16th-17th, they had lodged at the Manor House, Castle Cary. By the evening of Wednesday, September 17th, the end of the second week after Worcester, the party arrived at Trent to be greeted by Col. Wyndham and Wilmot, the later having previously reached the Colonel's dwelling. Wyndham spent the next few days enquiring about the possibility of a boat from Lyme Regis or Weymouth. Later, he arranged a sailing from Lyme through a sea captain, William Ellesdon. It was whilst at Trent that Charles witnessed villagers celebrating his 'death' - the locals believing the King to have been killed in the Worcester battle. Jane Lane and Lascelles left Trent to return home.
The King's journey continued on Monday September 22nd. Pretending to be a runaway marriage party, Charles, riding before Juliano Coningsby, a niece of old lady Wyndham, started for Charmouth, spending some time at Ellesdon's house on the way. Going on to Charmouth, the King, Juliano and others went to 'The Queen's Armes Inn' to await the promised crossing from Lyme. Captain Limbry, who was due to carry out the trip to France, did not turn up. This endeavour to leave England having failed, the King's party moved on to Birdport. On arrival there, Charles pushed his way past a crowd of enemy soldiers into the stable yard of the 'Old George Inn'. The ostler declared that he had met Charles before so, to be on the safe side, the King and party moved on to Braod Windsor and stayed at 'The George Inn' there during the night of September 23rd-24th. In the evening of Wednesday September 24th, the Royal party returned to Trent. It was now three weeks since the King had escaped from the battle scene.
Charles stayed at the Wyndham's at Trent until October 6th well into the fifth week of his ordeal. Efforts were made to arrange a sailing from Hampshire or Sussex. Wilmot had gone to Salisbury to contact several known Royalists including Col. Phillips of Montacute House and John Coventry, son of the former keeper of the Great Seal, who resided in the Close. A sailing from Southampton on September 29th had been arranged but the ship was taken over by Roundheads at the last moment for taking troops to Jersey. Phillips, Coventry and Dr. Henchman of Salisbury Cathedral, decided to try the Sussex coast and got in touch with Col. Gunter of Racton, near Chichester. On Sunday October 5th, Phillips went to Trent to fetch the King. The following day, Charles, together with Mistress Coningsby and Henry Peters, Col. Wyndham's servant, left Trent for the residence of Mrs Mary Hyde, at Heale, between Salisbury and Amesbury.
On the way, the Royal party lunched at 'The George Inn' at Mere. Whilst at Heale, the King, with Phillips, spent his days at Stonehenge, returning to the house each evening after dark. Tuesday October 7th, Wilmot visited Col. Gunter and persuaded him to help. The Colonel failed to get a boat at Emsworth so contacted his brother, Thomas, at Chichester but learned that he too had not been successful in securing a vessel. Gunter saw a French merchant, Francis Mancell, who made arrangements with a Captain Tattershall to carry the King and Wilmot from Shoreham, near Brighton, across to France. Sunday October 12th arrived and Colonel Phillips and Dr. Henchman rose to Heale House to warn the King to be prepared to leave. The next day, the brothers Gunter met Charles and Col. Phillips and they journeyed at sunset to the house of Thomas Symonds at Hambledon in Hampshire - Symonds being the Gunters' brother-in-law.
Tuesday October 14th the King and Col. Gunter made their way to Brighton together with Lord Wilmot who had joined them from Hinton Doubney, Lawrence Hyde's residence. Col. Gunter knew that the 'George Inn' was a safe place in Brighton at which to lodge. The landlord recognised the King but could not be trusted. Early the next morning, Wednesday October 15th, exactly six weeks after the battle, Gunter awoke the King and Wilmot early and they started for Shoreham harbour, sheltering at a hovel cottage at Southwick Green on the way. The 'precious cargo' went aboard Tattersall's coal boat 'Surprise'. It was later in the morning at eight o' clock, that the vessel sailed, the crew not knowing the passengers' identity. Thursday October 16th Charles and Wilmot landed on French soil at Fecamp at ten in the morning. Next day, they went on to Rouen and later proceeded to Paris where they were met by Queen Henrietta Maria, Charles' mother. It was not until the Spring of 1660, after the death of Cromwell that the monarchy was restored and Charles was welcomed back to England as King.