Castle Inn, the Octagonal Tower in Edge Hill

Situated on the summit of Edgehill, famous for its views of the battlefield of the Battle of Edgehill below.

The Battle of Edgehill took place on the afternoon of the 23rd October 1642 between Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary troops led by the Earl of Essex and King Charles’ Royalists led by Prince Rupert and Lord Wilmot. The two armies of similar size; approximately 12,000 men, continued for two days with neither side gaining a decisive victory.

The tower was built 100 years later by Sanderson Miller and is said to mark the spot where King Charles raised the standard before the two sides clashed. The Tower, also known as the Radway or Round Tower was intended to replicate Guy’s Tower at nearby Warwick Castle.

The Tower first became a pub in 1822, when it was sold by a descendant of Sanderson Miller to become a free house. Then in 1922 the Inn was acquired by Hook Norton Brewery.

Edge Hill is an escarpment and hamlet in the civil parish of Ratley and Upton, Stratford-on-Avon District, southern Warwickshire, England.

Edge Hill gave its name to the first battle of the English Civil War, in which it was a prominent feature.

The hamlet has a public house, an eccentric building of local Hornton Stone called the Castle Inn that was built in the 1740s to the designs of Sanderson Miller (1716–80). It is controlled by the Hook Norton Brewery.

 Battle of Edge Hill

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 Sunday 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 2,200 yards (2,000 m) 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. The King's forces descended from the escarpment and faced them, extended between the end of the spur at Knowle End and Brixfield Farm . 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.

[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_Hill,_Warwickshire]

Salcey Forest - For bird's-eye views

“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” » Mahatma Gandhi

Salcey Forest is an oasis of nature and history only 7 miles from the centre of Northampton. Wildlife and history are in abundance at this ancient semi-natural woodland.

 The Tree Top Way rises to 15 metres above the woodland floor, with a crow’s nest platform at 20 metres reached by steps. The structure offers stunning views across Salcey Forest and the adjoining woodlands of Yardley Chase.

 The structure provides you with a totally different perspective – a bird’s eye-view. If you feel it wobble and bounce, don’t worry, it is designed that way! It is also accessible for wheelchairs at 1.5 metres wide, with a gradient of just under 1:10, and there are resting points every 24 metres.

 Up to 3 metres above the ground, the Tree Top Way is made from green oak cut from Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) certified and sustainably managed local Northamptonshire woodlands. Above 3 metres, the sub structure is steelwork, using radio mast bridge technology. The project also used innovative stress-laminated bridge technology. Both techniques were pioneered by Forest Civil Engineering in Scotland.

  The elephant pond - named as such because it is where elephants bathed from a local travelling circus, after they were enlisted to help extract timber during the Second World War – onto the tree top way. The tree top way is a wooden boardwalk rising to 15m above ground level, finishing with a viewing platform at 20 meters with views over the forest and the surrounding countryside; a fantastic way to see the different autumn colours from a bird’s eye perspective.

 The walk leads you through semi-natural ancient woodland where you can view a vivid colour display from the native oak, ash and hazel trees. You take a path which skirts around Salcey lawn – a relic of the medieval hunting lawn. The walk then passes a ‘folly’ bench at the crossroads next to the Church Path Oak – perfect for a rest whilst sheltered under your very own thatched roof!

 “For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.” » Martin Luther

 “Walk tall as the trees, live strong as the mountains, be gentle as the spring winds, keep the warmth of the summer sun in your heart and the great spirit will always be with you.” » Native American proverb