< PreviousOn the morning of the 11th October1643 about 1,800 mounted Parliamentdragoons, backed by infantry, and led byCromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax, arrivedon the high ground to the southeast ofWinceby. The Royalist army under Sir JohnHenderson, Sir William Widdrington andSir Ingram Hopton with some 3,700mounted men plus around 5,000 on footfar outnumbered the Parliamentarians.But, coming up the hill to Winceby theywere surprised to find Parliament’s troopsalready there, expecting them to be inBolingbroke and so faced the prospect ofjoining battle on inauspicious ground notof their choosing. The local landscape wasthus to have a significant influence on theday’s events; to the Royalist’s left was thedeep valley of Snipe Dales and to theirright low-lying boggy ground. Their roomfor manoeuvre and, as it turned out,retreat was limited. Cromwell, realising his advantage, seizedthe initiative by charging immediately, thetwo armies meeting more or less in frontof the present day Winceby House.Cromwell survived a brush with death ashis horse was shot from under him and SirIngram Hopton was cut down and killedduring a near successful attempt tocapture him; but Cromwell grabbedanother horse and fought on. Within halfan hour the Royalist dragoons panickedand turning became entangled with theirown infantry behind them. Following asecond charge by Cromwell the Royalistsfled back towards Horncastle under hotpursuit. Within a mile they came upagainst the high hedge and parishboundary gate between Winceby andScrafield. Tragically this only openedheritageBut for some background to the originsof the Civil War we must look back to thereign of James I from 1603 and then hisson Charles I from 1625. Both James andCharles strongly believed in the DivineRight of Kings – in effect that they couldrule just as they wished. This belief,coupled with almost continuous frictionover money supply, to fund Europeanwars and a lavish court, was the cause oflong-running quarrels between monarchyand Parliament created confrontationbetween them that deterioratedcontinuously and inexorably until 1642.In fact Charles actually dissolvedParliament in March 1629 and ruled asan absolute monarch for eleven yearsduring which time he imposed his owntaxes, including the infamous “ShipMoney”, which incidentally, Lincolnshirerefused to pay. Following the “ShortParliament” of 1640, that lasted onlythree weeks, trouble in Ireland andScotland, accompanied by increasingreligious intolerance caused both sides tobegin preparations for actual militaryconflict. War was effectively declared byCharles raising his standard atNottingham on 22nd August 1642.During 1643 Lieutenant-General OliverCromwell, of the Parliamentary ModelArmy, saw a good deal of Lincolnshire.He had been at Crowland in April,Sleaford and then Belton and Granthamin May. On July 24th he had swiftlycompleted a (very brief) siege at BurghleyHouse at Stamford and three days laterwas at Gainsborough. By October he wasback in the county, this time in Boston,meeting with Sir Thomas Fairfax and theEarl of Manchester in order to lay siege toBolingbroke castle, a Royalist garrison.However Royalist troops from Lincoln,Newark and Gainsborough, smartingfrom their Gainsborough defeat weresoon heading east to lift the siege butintelligence of their approach fromscouting Parliamentarian troopers nearHorncastle preceded them. These scoutswere then forced to retreat and overnightrode via Ashby Puerorum where thenearby Clapgate Farm (GR323717)derives its name from the continualbanging of a gate as their horses passedthrough.October sees the anniversary of the Battle at Winceby; the only major Civil Warengagement in Lincolnshire.with Hugh MarrowsLincolnshire’sexploredAlthough not oneof the major CivilWar battles – suchas Marston MoorJuly 1644 orNaseby October1645 - Wincebywas important inthe war’s earlyyears in securingeastern Englandfor Parliament40 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYBATTLE OF WINCEBY MEMORIAL STONE40-41_Layout 1 19/09/2016 10:47 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY41towards them and was held tightly shut bythe pressure of men and horses against it.Here, trapped, they were mercilessly cutdown by pursuing Parliamentary troops.Hundreds were killed and it was said thatblood flowed “horse fetlock deep”; to thisday the ground is known as “Slash Hollow”and the nearby road is named on OS mapsas “Slash Lane”. Even more Royalists weretaken prisoner and Bolingbroke castlesurrendered. Today “Slash Lane” and SlashHollow make a peaceful agriculturallandscape.Some reminders of that historic dayremain however. At Winceby itself thevillage sign recalls the battle and WincebyHouse has a memorial on its front lawnmade from a piece of Louth stationplatform. There are several informationboards - at the Snipe Dales nature reservecarpark (GR319684), on theHameringham road (GR313675) and atSlash Hollow (GR313688). In St Mary’s church Horncastle ancientscythes, long held in local folklore to havebeen used as weapons at Winceby, havehad such use discounted since the battlewas fought by professional troops, mostlymounted. The church does have however alarge hatchment memorial to Sir IngramHopton hanging above the font. Cromwell,magnanimous in victory, ordered thatHopton had a full military funeral withhonours in St Mary’s. In Horncastle toothere are streets named Ingram Row,Hopton Street, Cromwell Avenue andFairfax Close. (It is interesting to speculateon the subsequent course of history hadCromwell not so narrowly escaped death.)Although not one of the major Civil Warbattles – such as Marston Moor July 1644or Naseby October 1645 - Winceby wasimportant in the war’s early years insecuring eastern England for Parliament.Charles I was eventually handed over toParliament by his Scots army in August1648, in return for £400,000 pay arrears;he was then tried for treason andexecuted by beheading on 30th January1649. Cromwell went on to become LordProtector of the Commonwealth – indeedalmost a dictator – and, in full circle, themonarchy was restored under Charles II in1660. But that’s another story!CROMWELL'S APPROACH ROUTEWINCEBY FROM THE AIR SIR INGRAM HOPTON'S HATCHMENT St MARY'SHORNCASTLE40-41_Layout 1 19/09/2016 10:47 Page 242 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONNumphWith a V-neck and loosesleeves, this number fromNumph is an autumnessential. Try pairing withskirt, tights and boots for agreat everyday look. 42-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:15 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY43FASHIONAudaciousautumn The transition from summer to autumn sees the shorts,skirts and sleeveless tees go back into the wardrobefor another year, but autumn doesn’t have to meancovering up; a few strategic additions can revitaliseyour style leaving you feeling sexy, confident and readyfor whatever weather comes your way. 42-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:15 Page 2142-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:16 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY45FASHION1) Gerry Weber Look closer at this Gerry Weber outfitand you’ll realise the subtle designtakes everything you thought youknew about the pantsuit and tips iton its head. 2) Ichi Ichi put their trademark spin on thisdare-to-care dress, with contrastingcuffs and collar and a seductive slitup the side. 3) Gant Pairing a dress with a leather jackettakes a summer staple and makes ita year-round statement and youcan’t go wrong with Gant’s blushingpurple ensemble. 4) HallhuberLong flowing lines add a slimmingsense of height, and this Hallhuberensemble is the crème da la crème. 23442-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:16 Page 4FASHION1) Marc CainThis outfit from Marc Cain excludes confidence and sexinessin equal measure. 2) BaslerThe precise lines of this military inspired overcoat from Basleraccentuate bare skin and bring out any splash of colour. 3) MasaiGrey doesn’t mean dull as this playful Masai outfit proves.Sunshine permitting, try ditching the tights. 4) LauRieA simple, well-fitted dress will always work wonders, and thiselegant number from LauRie is all that and more. 5) OililyOilily put a new spin on a classic look for a style that’s chicand flirty. 213342-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:16 Page 5LINCOLNSHIRETODAY47OSKA10 BailgateLincoln LN1 3AEMon to Sat 9.30 am – 5.30 pmShop online uk.oska.com5442-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:16 Page 648 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONAnyexcuse There are a few things every girl needs in herwardrobe, from hats to jackets, and autumn isthe perfect time to flaunt them. 1) Noa noaComplete this dazzling ensemble with a couple of accentuating accessories fromNoa Noa. 2) NumphRock it with a jacket and dress or slouching in jeans and a tee, just make sureyou’ve got a few hats in your arsenal like this woollen beanie from Numph. 3) Face á Face These stylish specs from Face á Face will leave you looking smart and sexy -available from O’Brien’s Opticians, Brigg. www.obriensopticians.co.uk. 4) Ichi Trench coat, fitted or faux, every girl needs a leather jacket at their disposal, and thisbiker-inspired Ichi offering is stylish and sexy. 5) BaslerPonchos are perfect in almost any weather, and this snazzy example from Basler willsee you through autumn and into winter. 6) Marc CainTime to swap out the silk scarfs for something a little more warming – thispatchwork, faux-fur effect from Marc Cain is comfort at its most stunning. 7) Etnia Etnia Barcelona balance elegance and simplicity for these teal colour specs -available from O’Brien’s Opticians, Brigg. www.obriensopticians.co.uk. 1242-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:16 Page 7LINCOLNSHIRETODAY49FASHION3456742-51_Layout 1 19/09/2016 11:16 Page 8Next >