Second Battle of Newbury interpretation panel installed in Speen

The panel provides a map and a detailed description of the battle, which took place at Speen, Speenhamland, and Shaw on October 27, 1644.
Newbury Town Council and Speen Parish Council have been working jointly with the Battlefields Trust on the project and a battlefield walk and talks at Shaw House were held last year to raise funds to purchase the panel.
The Battlefields Trust, the national charity for the preservation of Britain's battlefields, provided the design and wording for the panel and led the fundraising efforts with support from Shaw House.
Simon Marsh, who has been leading the work for the Battlefields Trust, said: “The information panel is a great opportunity to raise local awareness about the Second Battle of Newbury, which is often overlooked, but is a crucial event on the road to Parliament’s final victory in the Civil War.”
Newbury Town Council and Speen Parish Council have assisted with the plans and arrangements, supported by West Berkshire Council Heritage Service.
The panel was unveiled by the mayor of Newbury, Jo Day, and the chairwoman of Speen Parish Council, Caroline Holbrook.
Newbury Town Council leader Julian Swift-Hook said: “Newbury has been at the crossroads of history on many occasions, and the Second Battle of Newbury is one of the most significant, even though the battle itself was indecisive.”
The panel has the same format as the interpretation panel for the First Battle of Newbury, which was unveiled at the Wash Common Recreation Ground in June 2012.