NANTWICH Museum will commemorate a key local battle during the English Civil War with a series of special events in January.

Holly Holy Day on January 25 marks the date when Parliamentarian overcame Royalist forces that had been laying siege to the town in 1644.

Locals celebrated victory in the Battle of Nantwich by placing sprigs of Holly in their hair.

At the museum on Saturday, January 11, Neil Tew of the Crewe and Nantwich Wargame Club, will be exhibiting his wargame table – a detailed miniature display of the battlefield.

On Saturday, January 18, there will be two specialist talks dealing with the background to the Civil War and the battle itself.

At 11.30am, professor Ann Hughes, director of research for the humanities and social sciences at Keele University, will be speaking on Nantwich, Ireland and the British Civil Wars.

At 2pm, Dr Ian Atherton, senior lecturer in history at Keele University, will speak on The Battle of Nantwich itself.

Both talks are scheduled to last one-and-a-half hours.

Tickets from the museum £4 per talk or £6 for both.

On Holly Holy Day, Saturday, January 25, at 10.15am and 11.30am, there will be Civil War tours of the town starting at the museum and costing £2 per person.

Between 10.30am -11.30am members of the Sealed Knot Society will lead a musketry demonstration at the museum.

From 11am until 3pm there will be various events for children.

Further information on 01270 627104 or via nantwichmuseum.org.uk