FORGET the upheavals of Brexit, the English Civil War is about to break out again in Ledbury.

The seventeenth century skirmish will be re-enacted on the last weekend of this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival, on July 13 and July 14, thanks to the Sealed Knot group.

A spokesman said: "The date was April 22, 1645. The parliamentary commander Sir Edward Massey, had not been in Ledbury 24 hours with his combined force of 1500 infantry and cavalry before battle was joined. The royalists under the command of Prince Rupert of the Rhine, had turned on the march to confront the enemy after receiving news that parliamentary forces had occupied Ledbury intent on fortifying the quaint village, and using it a base for sorties deeper into Herefordshire.

"Sir George Lisle's Regiment of Foote and other members of the Sealed Knot, with cavalry, canons, pike and musket at Ledbury Rugby Club, will give an idea of what it might have been like on that fateful day. The armies will parade through the regimental colour adorned Ledbury on the Sunday, at approx 11.45am."