Jonjo Maudsley
England’s historic treasures are begging to be discovered as they reopen, including one which gave its name to pubs all over the country.
Lockdown is easing and I’m on my way to The Royal Oak. No, not the pub, but the place (and story) that inspired the third most popular name for English pubs in England.
The year was 1651.
Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army had delivered a crushing blow to the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester, and the English Civil War had finally been decided.
With Cromwell’s Parliamentarians swarming through the countryside, King Charles II was forced to flee to Boscobel House in Shropshire.
Built as a hunting lodge by John Gifford on the grounds of White Ladies Priory, the cosy manor was leased by William Careless, who offered the king refuge in the attic. Charles paced around the house until one fateful evening when – with the soldiers of the Parliamentarian forces drawing closer – he and Careless were forced to abandon the house and take refuge in a nearby oak tree.
Here they wait out the night, surrounded by the footsteps of their wouldbe captors, until the next morning.
Charles would later make good his escape to the Netherlands, thus cementing Boscobel House and the so-called “Royal Oak” into the annals of English history (and pub names) forevermore.
This is a story I learned on a guided tour through Boscobel House, the English Heritage property whose interiors have reopened to the public after a £950,000 refresh.
A short drive from the M6, the Civil War gem is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Shropshire countryside.
New additions include the introduction of rare breed animals like
Tamworth pigs and Ryeland sheep to a tranquil animal farm, a play area to keep the kids busy, and a revamp of the cutesy tea room.
The woodland once surrounding the Royal Oak has also been replanted using saplings propagated from the original tree.
What is most striking about Boscobel, however, is the house itself, and with a new interactive interpretation tour, I get the chance to fully immerse myself in the atmosphere of this astonishing epoch in English history.
The house’s timberframed exterior and oakpanelled interior have not only been carefully preserved, but augmented with immersive technology that brings the story of Charles’s escape to life like never before.
Entrance costs £11 per adult, £6.60 per child or £28.60 for a family of four. English Heritage members go free. Visit englishheritage.org.uk.