Castle tour recalls historic raising of the Standard

The Raising of the Standard tour will include a look in the castle dungeons

The anniversary of the start of the English Civil War is being marked with a special tour of Nottingham Castle.

Charles I raised the royal standard in Nottingham on 22 August 1642. It was the moment war was declared between the King and the parliament of the day.

The walk and talk on Sunday, 22 August, will explain, in-depth, Nottingham's role in the civil war.

Guide Cara Simmonds said: "It will give you a different view of the city, the castle and it's importance in history."

The museum assistant and English Civil War re-enactor added that the Raising of the Standard tour would cover costumes, fighting styles and weaponry as well as the battles that happened in Nottingham.

"It's a tour and talk for anyone, but especially those with an interest in Nottingham and its history."

Raising of the Standard

In Henry Dawson's dramatic painting of the historic moment Charles I is seen heroically raising the flag in Nottingham, defying the elements and sending a strong message to his opponents.

However, Nottingham historian Dr Trevor Foulds said the event was almost comedic.

He said: "It was blowing a gale, it was raining, hardly anyone turned up. People were not impressed.

"They set the standard up. The wind was so strong it blew it down... Not a good start to the declaration of war when you're dragging your royal standard out of the mud."

Ms Simmonds leads the Raising of the Standard tour on 22 August

Not only had he made a hash of the raising of the standard but he also had the proclamation of war rewritten.

Dr Foulds said: "The whole situation was seen as a bit of a farce and a total damp squib."

Charles chose Nottingham

Charles chose Nottingham because of its locality, as it was almost equidistant between London and the north.

He had great difficulty in persuading the people of Nottingham to his cause.

"He expected everyone to fall over themselves and do exactly what he wanted," Dr Foulds added.

"He was more than a little surprised when people didn't hand over their gunpowder and arms, or join his army."

Charles' problems in Nottingham should have been an omen for what was to come.

He lost the war and his head when he was executed on 30 January 1649 at Whitehall, London.

The special tour of Nottingham Castle and its caves starts at 2.30pm on Sunday, 22 August 2010. Tickets are £8.00 for adults and £4.50 for concessions. Places are limited on the tour so booking is recommended, 0115 915 3700.