English Civil War brought vividly back to life at Basing House

Re-enactors recreate 1645 siege of the royalist stronghold with muskets and battle scenes

Last updated: October 06, 2026 | 16:14

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

1 MIN READ

Musketeers of The Marquis of Winchester Regiment fire a salvo from their guns during a battle to re-enact the 1645 English Civil War, at Old Basing House near Basingstoke south east England.

AFP

The English Civil War returned to life at Basing House as re-enactors recreated a pivotal 1645 battle that helped shape the final stages of the conflict. Musketeers from The Marquis of Winchester Regiment fired volleys during the historical re-enactment at Old Basing House, near Basingstoke in southeast England. The event recalls the siege of the royalist stronghold after the defeat of King Charles I’s army at Naseby in Northamptonshire in June 1645.

Oliver Cromwell and troops from the New Model Army moved against remaining royalist strongholds in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Basing House, a major royalist base that had survived earlier sieges, became a key target. Cromwell’s forces subjected the site to heavy bombardment, breaching its defences before storming and capturing the stronghold on October 14, 1645. The re-enactment offers visitors a vivid glimpse into the era of muskets, sieges and civil war.

Photos: AFP

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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