TV presenter Rick Edwards will team up with river detectorist beau Ouimette to search the River Trent at Newark for Civil War relics, in episode 3 of River Hunters.
River Hunters on History UK Channel follows Rick and river searching expert Beau as they visit historically significant sites across the UK through the waterways that have remained untouched for hundreds and even thousands of years.
In episode 3 the pair head to the River Trent and site of one of the greatest strongholds of the English Civil War - Newark Castle. Here on the banks of the waterway in 1645, the forces of King Charles I were trapped in a bloody siege by Scottish forces from the North and Parliamentarian armies from the South. In the first official search of the waterway, the River Hunters hunt for lost Civil War relics that reveal the secrets of this brutal battleground.
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The River Trent: a vital waterway
In 1642, after years of unpopular taxes, failed wars and reckless spending by the King, Parliament lost patience and turned on Charles I, plunging the country into conflict. At time, rivers and crossings were vital for moving and supplying troops and the Parliamentarians - or Roundheads - held the Severn and the Thames further south. Further north they wanted the Trent but standing in their way was the Royalist stronghold of Newark Castle. It suffered attack after attack, as the Roundheads tried to bombard the Royalists into submission and in just six months, a third of the town’s 6,000 inhabitants perished.
Aided by experts including British archeologist Gary Bankhead, the River Hunters start their search directly next to the castle and find key evidence from the key advances in warfare at the time, which eventually helped lead to the King’s demise.
They continue their search at the River Devan next to the remains of the attacking 9,000 strong Parliamentarian camp, now a scheduled monument. Here they uncover lost items that help picture the harrowing life in this turbulent time. They also follow the Trent to where Charles I surrendered and reveal secrets of its pasts from centuries before.
Episode details
River Hunters continues on
History channel, with episode airing on 1 April at 9pm.
(image courtesy of HISTORY® UK)