Local history group Win Lottery Support

Brentford and Turnham Green Battlefield Trails awarded £15,000

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £15,000 to the Battlefields Trust to create trails across the Civil War battlefields of Brentford and Turnham Green and improve local understanding of these historic events.

The project, which starts this summer, involves the installation of information boards at Brentford and Turnham Green which tell the story of the battles and their wider importance for the 1642-1646 Civil War. The Battlefields Trust will also use the grant to provide public talks on the battles and produce leaflets which will be freely available in local libraries and museums. The Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society, Hounslow Heritage Guides, The Duke of Northumberland and Syon Park Estate and the John Hampden Society are all participating in the project.

Local heritage guides will be offered the opportunity to learn more about the battles and incorporate their history into the walks they lead. Local schools are also to be involved in a creative art competition, the winners of which will open the battlefield trails in late 2007.

Frank Baldwin, Chairman of the local Battlefields Trust branch, said “We are delighted the Heritage Lottery Fund has made this project happen. The importance of the Brentford and Turnham Green battles have for too long been underplayed by historians. This grant will raise their profile greatly.”

Explaining the importance of the award HLF regional manager Sue Bowers said “This is great news both for local people and visitors to this part of London. These interpretation boards and walking tours will help people to understand the past, why it’s important and relevant to them, and how the character of this part of London has developed. We are very keen to fund projects that make local history accessible and encourage communities to identify, look after and celebrate their heritage, and Brentford and Turnham Green Battlefield Trails will do exactly that.”

Councillor Adrian Lee, Executive Member for Leisure Services at Hounslow Council, added “Hounslow has a remarkable heritage, and the new trails, talks and information boards, funded by the HLF, will go a long way towards helping local people to learn more about the borough’s history.”

Background to the Battles

At the beginning of the English Civil War in 1642 the royalists attempted to end the conflict quickly by capturing London. Their advance, under King Charles I, was checked by the parliamentarian army commanded by the Earl of Essex at the battle of Edgehill in Warwickshire on 23 October. The outcome was inconclusive, but the royalists were able to resume their march, occupying Oxford and Reading before advancing along the Thames valley. Essex’s army returned to London.

Parliament sought peace with the King and believed an agreement for negotiations had been reached. But early in the morning of 12 November the royal army commanded by General Patrick Ruthven marched via Hounslow toward London. The royalists attacked a small parliamentary detachment at Brentford and, whilst they defeated this force, their advance on London was delayed, enabling parliament to prepare its defence.

The next day, the royal army of 12,000 advanced to Turnham Green, to find the road blocked by 24,000 parliamentarians, including the London militia and
volunteers. Rarely have two such large armies faced each other in Britain. Following some skirmishing and an aborted parliamentary attempt to outflank the royalist position, the King realised he had no chance of pressing on to London and retreated to Oxford.

The inability of the royalists to capitalise on their success at Brentford with a victory at Turnham Green and the capture of London ensured that the war continued. The king’s reputation was harmed by the attack on Brentford while negotiations were pending. Parliament won a significant victory at Turnham Green and the royalists lost their best opportunity of winning the civil war

July 17, 2006