Battle of Edgehill Battlefield

On October 23, 1642, King Charles I’s Royalist army clashed with Parliament’s forces in the first major battle of the English Civil War. The inconclusive fight left over 1,500 dead on the Warwickshire hillside. Just two months later, local shepherds witnessed something extraordinary: the entire battle replaying in the sky, complete with ghostly armies, cannon fire, and the cries of dying men. It remains one of the most well-documented supernatural events in British history.

The History

The Battle

King and Parliament came to blows:

• Prince Rupert’s cavalry charged successfully
• But pursued too far, leaving the center exposed
• The infantry fought to a bloody stalemate
• Darkness ended the fighting
• Neither side could claim victory
• The Civil War would continue for years

The First Report

Christmas Eve 1642, just two months after the battle:

• Shepherds and travelers witnessed the phantom battle
• It played out above Edge Hill
• Complete with armies, cavalry, and cannon
• Sounds of battle were deafening
• The vision lasted several hours

The King’s Investigation

Charles I heard the reports and took them seriously:

• He sent officers to investigate
• They witnessed the phantom battle themselves
• Recognized fallen comrades among the ghosts
• Made sworn statements
• The phenomenon was officially documented

The Hauntings

The Sky Battle

The most famous manifestation:

• The entire battle replays in the clouds
• Armies clash in mid-air
• Cavalry charges across the sky
• Cannon smoke and musket fire
• Visible for miles around
• Most common in October

Prince Rupert’s Charge

The dashing Royalist cavalry commander:

• His horsemen thunder across the ridge
• The ground shakes with their passage
• Battle cries and trumpets
• They charge and disappear
• Leaving only dust and echoes

The Fallen

Individual soldiers appear:

• Men in Royalist and Parliamentarian colors
• Walking the battlefield
• Some seem unaware they’re dead
• Others search for something lost
• Comrades, weapons, or their way home

Cannon Fire

Artillery ghosts:

• The boom of cannons
• Smoke drifting across the field
• The whistle of cannonballs
• Men screaming as they’re hit
• The guns of 1642 still fire

The Wounded

After-battle horrors:

• Cries for help
• Men calling for water
• Surgeons working by torchlight
• Amputations and emergency care
• The suffering continues

Anniversary Activity

October 23 is intensely active:

• The phantom battle is almost guaranteed
• Re-enactors report eerie experiences
• Modern weapons malfunction
• Cameras capture strange images
• The dead reclaim their battlefield

The Tower

Castle Inn at Edge Hill:

• Built from stones of a Royalist fort
• Intense paranormal activity
• Figures in Civil War dress
• Sounds of revelry and preparation
• The soldiers gather before battle

Witness Testimony

Over four centuries of consistent reports:

• The 1642 depositions are preserved
• Victorian accounts match earlier ones
• Modern sightings continue
• The phenomenon never changes
• Edge Hill never forgets

The Roundhead Pub

Local pub with connections:

• Named for Parliamentarian soldiers
• Staff and patrons report phenomena
• Footsteps of marching men
• Glasses moving on their own
• A soldier sits by the fire

Modern Activity

The battlefield is accessible:

• Walkers frequently report experiences
• Audio recordings capture battle sounds
• Photographs show anomalies
• The ridge maintains its haunting
• The Civil War’s first battle still rages

---

The Battle of Edgehill was the first clash of the English Civil War, an inconclusive slaughter that settled nothing. But it began something else: the most famous phantom army in British history. Within weeks, the battle was replaying in the sky, witnessed by hundreds. King Charles sent investigators who saw it themselves. Nearly 400 years later, the armies of 1642 still fight above Edge Hill.