With the king under their control, the determination of Fairfax’s Army made Presbyterian parliamentarians buckle. And when Ireton presented the carefully worked Heads of Proposals to the Officers and Agitators at the Army General Council at Reading, it seemed that at last a peace agreement was within grasp. Once agreed, Fairfax and the Army could march into London with King Charles at its head, and a new world could begin. All that was needed was the king to agree to the best peace proposals he will ever receive, so good surely it’ll be in the bag. Download Podcast - 403 No Mere Mercen ..read more

  In 1647 The New Model Army became a battleground between Independant and Presbyterian factions. Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell were caught in the middle. As Holles came closer and closer to destroying the New Model, Fairfax might be forced to choose between the parliament whose rights he had fought to uphold, and justice for the soldiers with whom he’d lived and fought. Download Podcast - 402 Enemies of State (Right Click and select Save Link As) Transcript   Last time we talked about Charles’ attitude to negotiation, we saw the Scots go home, and talked about the plan of the ..read more

In June 1646 Charles’ path had taken him to the Scots, on the hope he could persuade them to put him back on the English throne. But he was not prepared to pay their price, and in England Holles and the Presbyterian party saw a way to break the power of the New Model Amy and the Independents once and for all. And achieving the departure of the Scottish army was the key. Download Podcast - 401 The Mind of a Martyr (Right Click and select Save Link As) Transcript Today we are going to start the story of war by other means. On the one hand that means a long protracted and drawn out mental battle ..read more

The Levellers were not an organized, structured politial party or pressure group in the early days. They were a loose association of radicals who found they shared new ideas that sprang from their religious view, the chaos and freedoms of the time, and the possibility of change. In 1646 their first coherent petition hit the streets  – The Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens Download Podcast - 400 Many Thousand Citizens (Right Click and select Save Link As)   Transcript Now look, I have something along the lines of the feeling you get when the weather has been utterly filthy, all ..read more

  In one sense this is a Tale of Two Cities – Oxford and London, HQs of King and Parliament. But the First Civil war is a conflict that reaches into every town, village and parish. There are national armies, regional armies, local armies and countless garrisons. Even commuities that try to reject any conflict – the Clubmen. This is the story of the First Civil War as king and parliament fight over religion and their version of the Ancient Constitution.   Download Podcast - AAG 1643-1645 The First Civil War (Right Click and select Save Link As) Transcript   In the Last AAG episo ..read more

  17th Century was a century of change and revolution, a world beautifully described in the a rich and varied book, The Blazing World. Historian Jonathan Healey comes along to talk through some of the themes and events that make the century such a fascinating time. Download Podcast - Jonathan Healey and the Blazing World (Right Click and select Save Link As)     ..read more

Fairfax usurped the birthright of the aristiocrats Essex and Manchester by become General of the Parliamentary armies in 1645 Despite the realities of the strategic situation, parliament and people were deeply discouraged by the failures of the Lostwithial and Newbury campaigns. Parliament was fractious, divided and argumentative. But from the disputes, debatives and divisions – a solution emerged, and was crafted into a new weapon of the Revoluton. Download Podcast - 396 The New Model (Right Click and select Save Link As)   Transcript Last time then, we heard about the King’s skilful esc ..read more

Excavations in Suffolk near Sutton Hoo have revealed fascinating news about the royal centre at Rendlesham, active from 570 to 730 ish. There’s that – and news of a new Anglo Saxon series for you all Download Podcast - Anglo Saxon Rendlesham (Right Click and select Save Link As) Find out more about The Anglo Saxons: Land, Lordship and People !           Here’s that Great Hall picture I promised             The Suffolk Explorer Website is choc full of great information on wh9ch this episode is largely based. If you are interested in the ..read more

In his efforts to secure Oxford’s safety,Charles was faced at Newbury by a far larger army. Find out what happens – and then we go north, where Montrose and Macolla give the Covenanters a nasty shock. Download Podcast - 395 Forever Newbury (Right Click and select Save Link As) The Somerset Wassail is played and sung by Magpie Lane   Transcript   , so 1644 really seems to be a game of two halves. Disaster in the North for Charles – then, quick as a flash just when they thought it was all over – it wasn’t. Essex on a boat, 10,000 lost with it all at Lostwithial. But 1644 was not in fa ..read more

The defeat at Marston Moor in July 1644 raised the very, very strong possibility of the king’s defeat. In the Midlands, a small force under the king faced the much larger combined armies of Essex and Waller. Against all expectations, the showdown came in Cornwall. “When the King enjoys his Own Again” was played by Band of the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall Download Podcast - 394 Lost With It All (Right Click and select Save Link As) Cromwell’s Letter to his brother-in-law, Valentine Walton Cromwell’s (private) letter to his brother in Law Valentine Walton has been poured over an ..read more