Cirencester, February 1643, and the English Civil War is raging. A heavy snow falls on shivering royalist troops camped overnight in Cirencester Park. They have marched over open countryside from Sudeley, determined to take this strategic, mainly Parliamentarian, Cotswold town. (With Gloucester under siege, Cirencester is the King’s only gateway to Wales.)
The following day, more than 300 people will perish in Cirencester’s oncepeaceful streets, with 1,200 prisoners held in the parish church.
This bloody episode lies at the heart of Cynthia Jefferies’ latest book, The Honourable Life of Thomas Chayne. Born and brought up in Cirencester, Cindy (as she’s more familiarly known) has long been fascinated by the history of the Civil War in the Cotswolds.
“I was 10 years old and at Querns [a former Cirencester primary] when I wrote my first play – about King Charles escaping the Battle of Worcester. All my long-suffering classmates had to take part!
“Nor will I forget, as a young adult, attending the 350th anniversary Civil War commemorations in the parish church. It was an incredibly atmospheric evening, with a talk about the prisoners who had been locked up in there. It really inspired me.”
As well as novels for adults – all written as Cynthia Jefferies – Cindy is known for her children’s Fame School series, published by Usborne.
Where do you live and why?
In Stroud, because of its alternative, arty vibe. So many of my writer friends live here, too. I’m lucky to have woodland, with foxes and deer on one side; the Slad Brook at the front; and houses and town life on the other. Wonderful.
How long have you lived in the Cotswolds?
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Cotswold Life.
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Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Cotswold Life.
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Gloucestershire After The War
Discovering the county’s Arts and Crafts memorials of the First World War
THE WILD SIDE OF Moreton-in-Marsh
The days are getting shorter but there’s plenty of reasons to be cheerful, says Sue Bradley, who discovers how a Cotswolds town is becoming more wildlife-friendly and pots up some bulbs for an insect-friendly spring display
Mr Ashbee would approve
In the true spirit of the Arts & Crafts Movement, creativity has kept the Chipping Campden community ticking over during lockdown
The Cotswolds at war
These might be peaceful hills and vales, but our contribution to the war effort was considerable
Trust in good, local food
‘I’ve been following The Country Food Trust’s activities with admiration since it was founded’
Why Cath is an open book
Cath Kidston has opened up almost every nook and cranny of her Cotswold idyll in a new book, A Place Called Home. Katie Jarvis spoke to Cath ahead of her appearance at this year’s Stroud Book Festival STROUD BOOK FESTIVAL – THIS YEAR FREE AND ONLINE: NOVEMBER 4-8
From the Cotswolds to the world
Most people know that the Cotswolds have featured in a fair few Hollywood movies and TV series.
The Wild Hunt
In search of the legendary King Herla in the Malvern Hills
Fighting spirit amid the flowers
Tracy Spiers visits Warwick, a beautiful town that is open for business and ready to welcome visitors
Final journey
Cheltenham author and volunteer on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), Nicolas Wheatley, recounts the fascinating story of funeral trains
