THE Battle of Worcester, remembered yesterday with a series of events marking 357 years since the clash that ended the Civil War, is perhaps the defining moment in the city’s history.

It is vital that commemorations like the ones yesterday take place and that study of Worcester’s role in the Civil War is an essential part of the curriculum in the city’s schools.

The bloody battle in which Charles II’s largely Scottish army took on Cromwell’s Parliamentarians is estimated to have cost in excess of 3,000 lives. It saw the end of nine years of conflict in the place where it started with Prince Rupert’s victory at Powick Bridge in 1642. It also marked Cromwell’s final battle as an active commander. Yesterday was also the 350th anniversary of his death.

The events of September 3, 1657, gave Worcester a permanent place on the historical map of Britain.

What happened here all those years ago will not – and should not – be forgotten. It represents a snapshot in time during which Worcester was the most important place in the land – loyal to the crown yet about to be the venue for its final stand.

History can sometimes seem dry and uninteresting, particularly to the young. The great work done by the likes of the Battle of Worcester Society and the Commandery museum means that is not the case here. As yesterday’s events showed, history in Worcester is a living and breathing entity. Long may that be the case.