Using contemporary sources, surviving monuments and the evidence of archaeology, this book tells the story of how the life of this Midlands county was affected by the war between 1642 and 1651. Challenging the view that it was 'loyal' to the king, Worcestershire is revealed to have been a moderate and conservative part of England loyal to the status quo, fearful of change and worn out by the continual exactions of a war that few sought or wished to participate in.