Woolfe's Barn

It was in Madeley, that the future King Charles 11 was given refuge after fleeing the battlefield of Worcester in 1651. Francis Woolfe hid Charles prior to his flight to Boscobel House and to the eventual safety of France. The battle had brought to an end the English Civil Wars and with it the demise of the Royalist cause.

Fleeing Royalists

Horses hooves would have echoed in the still morning air as Roundheads scoured the locality for fleeing royalists. Standing in this quiet street nowadays, you can almost hear the sound of iron on stone.

Nell Gwynne

Had fate not been kind to our fugitive, the restoration of the monarchy might never have happened. There would have been no Merry Monarch or Nell Gwynne for history to recount.

Plunging Hooves

As you gaze at the building the final words of the poem, The Listeners, comes to mind.

'And how the silence surged softly backwards, when the plunging hooves were gone'.