The narrow wood on the scarp of Edge Hill, in the south-east overlooks the lower slope and the plain on which the battle was fought. The battle of Edge Hill was fought on Sunday 23 October 1642 and was the first major battle in the
English Civil War between the Royalist forces of
King Charles I and the
Parliamentarian army commanded by the
Earl of Essex. The King's army started the day on the plateau above the scarp and Parliament's front line was about away. From Edge Hill, the ground drops steeply, levels out, then rises to Battleton Holt and a little beyond it are the Oaks and Graveground Copice. It was across the latter two that Parliament's army was drawn up ( to ). The King's forces descended from the escarpment and faced them, extended between the end of the spur at Knowle End and Brixfield Farm ( to ). The King's army had to descend from the edge of the escarpment if they wished to engage the Parliamentarians in battle, because the escarpment was far too steep for Essex to consider an attack against the Royalist army while it was on the edge. At the time of the battle, there were far fewer trees. The battle was inconclusive, with both sides claiming victory. It would take several more years and many more battles before the Parliamentarians won the war. In 1643, following reports of ghostly sightings published by a printer Thomas Jackson, the King sent a
Royal commission to visit the site, where they claimed to have seen two phantom armies fighting in the sky above them. ==Quarrying==