Marbury Merry Days 9-10.05.2026

Returning once again for this fabulous event at Marbury for the Marbury Merry Days

annual village show event set in a picturesque Shropshire village on fields bordering

a mere and overlooked by the Church, which becomes the backdrop for our skirmish

with musketeers firing out from behind the stone walls. Camping is adjacent to the

village featuring a pub with excellent food and beer. This will be our fourth visit and

we are looking forward to another amazing weekend in this stunning location.

🏰 Marbury – a quick background

Marbury is a small historic village in Cheshire, not far from Whitchurch. It’s best known for St Michael and All Angels Church, a striking red sandstone church with a tall tower that leans slightly—often compared (on a smaller scale) to Pisa.

Historically, Marbury was a rural parish surrounded by farmland and estates. It didn’t play a major strategic role in national conflicts, but like most English villages, it was affected by the political and religious upheaval of the 1600s.

⚔️ The English Civil War (1642–1651)

The English Civil War was a series of wars between:

Royalists (Cavaliers) – supporters of King Charles I

Parliamentarians (Roundheads) – supporters of Parliament

🔥 Why it started

Main causes included:

Power struggle between the king and Parliament

Religious tensions (Anglican vs Puritan influences)

Taxation and governance disputes

🗺️ What happened in Cheshire

Cheshire (where Marbury sits) was actually quite important during the war:

It was strategically located between Royalist strongholds like Wales and Parliamentary areas.

The region saw several clashes, including the Battle of Nantwich, where Parliamentarian forces defeated Royalists.

Control of towns shifted multiple times.

Villages like Marbury would have experienced:

Troop movements passing through

Requisitioning of food, horses, and supplies

General disruption to daily life

⚔️ The outcome

King Charles I was captured and later executed in 1649

England briefly became a republic under Oliver Cromwell

The monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles II