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Naseby, Northamptonshire

Naseby in Northamptonshire is a small village of about five hundred inhabitants in rolling hills about seven miles from Market Harborough. It was here on June the 14th that one of the most important battles of the civil war was fought. A Parliamentary army under the command of Thomas Fairfax confronted a Royalist army led by Prince Rupert, the king's nephew. At first the royalists gained the upper hand, but the parliamentary cavalry led by Oliver Cromwell turned the battle and the Royalists were routed. This victory effectively ended the English Civil War.

Until the thirteenth century Naseby was a thriving market town, but the Black Death took a terrible toll on the town. In nearby fields the remains of buildings abandoned in this period can still be seen. In Church Street there are remnants of the thirteenth century market cross, a reminder of the town Naseby had once been.

Directions: Approaching via the Sibbercroft Road there is a Battlefield Monument at the spot where Cromwell's cavalry began the engagement, and a number of information panels. A second monument stands on the Clipston Road on the northern outskirts of the village. There is another information panel here. Click here for an interactive map centred on Naseby.

Other attractions in Naseby include two outstanding Georgian buildings, Manor Farm and the Old Vicarage. Althorp, home of the Spencer family is only ten miles away.

Contact: www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/tourism/