Archaeology, English Civil War, Castles, Fortified houses, Battle sites, Town defences, Siegeworks, Forts, Evidence, Places to visit, 17th century, Warfare, Artefacts 

Shire Archaeology Series 

The English Civil War provides the only evidence on the ground in Britain of a military campaign fought since the invention of gunpowder. Previous studies have mostly failed to address the surviving field monuments or the material culture and archaeological context of the war. However, an increasing body of evidence of the conflict is showing up in the archaeological record, particularly on urban sites, notably Chester, Exeter, Gloucester and Newark, and further evidence, such as mutilated carvings, demolished and battered fortifications and bullet holes, can be seen at many castles, churches and cathedrals. This book firstly discusses the form of warfare in the mid-seventeenth century and the kind of physical remains and artefacts that would be expected to have survived. It goes on to deal in detail with town defences, castles and manor houses, siege-works and forts, island defences, reused sites and battlefields. There is a selective list of sites to visit in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man.