Worcester museum to honour 375th anniversary of key city battle through day of activities
The Battle of Worcester took place on the 3 September 1651, with the Commandery holding its The Last Battle event today (5 September) to commemorate the occasion
Last updated 5th Sep 2026
The 375th anniversary of a 17th-century Worcestershire conflict which ended the English Civil Wars is to be further commemorated today (5 September).
Activities are set to take place at the Commandery in the city to honour the Battle of Worcester.
The battle, which happened on the 3 September 1651, saw the Oliver Cromwell led Parliamentarian army defeat the Royalist one that was under the command of Charles II, and brought a close to a series of civil wars that started back in 1642.
Events and activities coordinator at the Commandery, Helen Manning, said the Grade I listed building played an important role in the Civil War as it served as the Royalist headquarters, and it's vital to keep its story alive.
"There's been something on this site for over 1,000 years and the Civil War was an enormous part of our history," she said.
"The building itself has had multiple uses, it's been a home, it's been a hospital, so big events like this that highlight our sort of standing in Worcester are great to open people's eyes about what we have got here."
The annual Drumhead Parade from the city centre to Fort Royal Park and remembrance service were held on Thursday on the battle's actual anniversary date.
A series of events have been taking place throughout the year to commemorate the milestone, with things like military demonstrations and a chance to hear about the battle's full story included in the schedule for today's one.
Ahead of the Last Battle event, learning and outreach coordinator at the Commandery, Megan Keary, said: "I think it's really important for people to understand their own history and to look at the history of how the country was run.
"It was a huge moment in the history of the country as well as Worcester, the end of the civil war brought an end to a period of fighting between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians where they had families fighting against families.
"It had been a huge period of destruction for the whole country and here in Worcester is where it ended and the monarchy was defeated and we had Oliver Cromwell victorious and from there we were a republic for a short amount of time."
The museum is open for the event from 10am-4pm.