The Malvern Area and the English Civil War Many battles were
fought along the Severn Valley and the 1643 siege of Gloucester
was a turning point in the civil war, whilst Worcester saw the
first major skirmish and the final decisive battle. The Battles
of Powick Bridge, Worcester “The first and the last” This
mediaeval bridge spanning the river Teme as it meanders towards
the Severn is most famous for it’s role in the final battle of
the English Civil War in 1651 (spot the repaired spans). It was
also the scene of the first major skirmish of the Civil War on
23rd September 1642 in which the Royalists put the
Parliamentarians to flight. How different was to be the outcome
nine years later. The fields over which the battle was waged are
mostly built over now but the meadow beside the bridge and the
bridge itself both survive. It’s worth combining with a trip to
the Worcester battle sites. The Battle of Worcester On the 3rd
September 1651 Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians
(“Roundheads”) defeated the Royali