After an initial period of uncertainty and disengagement, Chester became a major Royalist stronghold and garrison in the English Civil War. It remained so, despite repeated Parliamentarian attempts and lengthy operations to capture the city, until it surrendered during the closing months of the conflict.
Peter Gaunt will look at the role the city might have played, was expected to play and actually played in the war, viewed from both a Royalist and a Parliamentarian perspective. He will contrast the often startlingly different priorities accorded to Chester by local commanders, by the regional war efforts and by the high commands in London and Oxford.
This special lecture is held in memory of the distinguished soldier and military historian Richard Holmes. It is organised by The Battlefields Trust in partnership with the National Army Museum.