Kit & Book Lists

List of kit you will need and by when; plus a list of books for research and general interest about the English Civil War.

Kit List

Rawdon's Cannon Firing. Photograph Copyright © Rusty Aldwinkle.

1. For a Trial Weekend

• Plain (suede) desert boots: - no designer labels, not hiking boots.
• Over the knee woollen sea boot socks.
• All other kit that you require for the weekend in the form of soldiers coats, shirts, britches etc will be loaned by members of the regiment.

2. At End of First Season

• Yellow Soldiers coat - made by the regimental seamstress.
• Britches - either made by the regiment seamstress, from traders or self made.
• Shirt - either made by the regiment seamstress, from traders or self made.
• Hose - from traders.
• Hat - from traders.
• Gauntlets/gloves - from traders.

For all your purchases from traders always ask other members of the regiment for recommendations and if in doubt ask somebody to accompany you. If making your own kit use approved cloth and period patterns available from traders.

3. Second Season

• Authentic shoes - from traders.

Pikemen

• Morion (helmet).
• Armour (personal preference not a necessity).

Musketeer

• Bandoliers.
• Musket.

4. Optional for All Arms

• Sword - Should be as plain as possible. Basket handled swords are officers weapons.
• Authentic tent - See Victor James in the regiment.
• Authentic eating utensils - from traders.

For all kit purchases if unsure do not buy it without asking advice of other members of the regiment. It is best for your first few trips to traders to ask an experienced member of the regiment to accompany you.

Book List

If you wish to undertake some background reading, here is a brief list of books members of the regiment have suggested:

• Love Loyalty (The perilous close and siege of Basing House) - Wilf Emberton
• British Battlefields - Ken & Denise Guest
• Cromwell's Soldiers - Barry Denton
• The English Civil War - R Potter & G Embleton
• The English Civil War - R Potter & G Embleton
• Charles 1 - Christopher Hibbert
• The English Civil War Day by Day - Wilf Emberton
• The Civil War, 1642 - 51. This is a Pitkin Guide by Michael St John Parker
• A Battlefield Atlas of the English Civil War - Anthony Baker
• Oliver Cromwell, King in all but name - Roy Sherwood
• The English Civil War 1642 - 51, An Illustrated Military History - Philip Haythornthwaite
• Civil War - Taylor Downing & Maggie Millman
• The English Civil War by Peter Young and Richard
• The English Civil War - A Peoples History by Diane Purkiss
• Brassey`s History of Uniforms - The English Civil War by Philipp J C Elliot Wright
• English Civil Wars Archaeology - Peter Harrington
• The English Civil War - Recreated in Colour Photos - Chris Honeywell & Gill Spear