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Tulip tree that marked Civil War battle link |
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First written in June 2018 Updated July 2020 |
The mature tulip tree, planted at the Volunteer Fields end of Coronation Gardens to mark the link between the Sealed Knot and Nantwich, and the plaque. |
A TULIP Tree planted to one side of Coronation Gardens in Beam Street marks a link between the Civic War re-enactment society, The Sealed Knot, and the townspeople of Nantwich. Marking their 50 years this year, The Sealed Knot Society have been recreating the Battle of Nantwich, in 1644, during the First English Civil War, since 1973. To mark the long association, representatives of The Sealed Knot, and members of Nantwich Town Council, assembled in Coronation Gardens for a ceremony marking the planting of the tree and the erection of a plaque explaining to passers by the significance of the mature tree. The then Mayor of Nantwich (she was succeeded by the new Mayor in May), Cllr Penny Butterill, received the tree and plaque during a ceremony on April 14 from the Chairman of The Sealed Knot Society, Mr Simon Wright.
THE series of annual commemorations began with a wreath-laying ceremony in 1972 at the war memorial on The Square, which had been erected in memory of Nantwich people who died in the First and Second World Wars. Nowadays wreathes are laid at the ceremony in memory of people who died in all wars since the Civil War. The first commemoration of the Battle of Nantwich was subsequently performed in 1973 on Barony Park, Barony Road, an event that went down well (I know, I was there) although there were some comments about how the event had churned up the surface of the park. Brookfield Park was the chosen venue the following year, and now the battle is re-enacted on Mill Island. Today it is an ever-changing event - apart from the battle, of course - which now includes mounted soldiers riding in town. THE Sealed Knot is the oldest re-enactment society in the UK, a registered educational charity, and the single biggest re-enactment society in Europe, says their website. In 1968, a group of friends, following a garden party in cavalier costume to publicise the launch of Sir Peter Young’s book on the Battle of Edgehill, decided to form a period army – and within two years it had more than 1,000 members. Roundheads members followed. |
The inscription on the plaque reads: "Dedicated on 14th April 2018, this tree recognises forty six years of the unique relationship between the people of Nantwich and the Sealed Knot Society in its fiftieth year. "On 25th January, 1644, one of the decisive battles of the English Civil War was fought to relieve the Siege of Nantwich. This date became known as Holly Holy Day and is annually remembered by the Townsfolk of Nantwich and The Sealed Knot." The plaque also includes the logos of the Sealed Knot and Nantwich Town Council.
Some of the action from a previous Battle of Nantwich re-enactment by the Sealed Knot as pikemen from both sides face each other |
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 New tree flourishing on the site of "gift" tree A NEW tree is flourishing and in full leaf on the site in Volunteer Fields where there was once a tulip tree that was donated to Nantwich by the Sealed Knot Society. The original tree succumbed to the long, dry summer of July 2018 in which it was deprived of water (left). A replacement tree was planted by Ansa, the wholly-owned business of Cheshire East Council which looks after floral display in town.
ACCORDING to the Royal Horticultural Society website, the tulip tree is deciduous and has tulip-shaped flowers in the summer once it is mature and good autumn colour. It grows to more than 12 metres with a spread of eight metres. It reaches its ultimate height in 20 to 50 years. For more about the trees, visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1177. |
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