Radway is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, nestled at the foot of the Edge Hill escarpment approximately seven miles northwest of Banbury in neighbouring Oxfordshire. With a population of 238 as recorded in the 2011 census, this picturesque village boasts a rich and varied history spanning over a millennium, from its Saxon origins to its role in pivotal moments of English history.
Early Origins and Domesday Book
The origins of Radway trace back to Saxon times when the land was owned by the ‘Church of Coventry’. The village name itself is believed to be a corruption from “Redweii” or “Radweis,” meaning “red way or road,” probably referring to the distinctive red-coloured soil of the area.
The earliest documented record of Radway appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. The Domesday survey reveals that the village was divided among multiple holders, with three separate entries recorded. The first entry shows that Coventry Church held 3 hides, with land for 6 ploughs, including 13 villagers and 6 smallholders with 5½ ploughs, and 16 acres of meadow. Earl Aubrey held 2 hides with land for 3 ploughs, while Richard the Forester held 1 hide with land for 3 ploughs. By 1087, the village supported 153 people and required twelve teams of oxen for a year to work the arable land.
Medieval Period and Monastic Influence
During medieval times, Radway’s lands were divided between two significant religious institutions: Arbury Priory and Stoneleigh Abbey. The Cistercian monks from Stoneleigh Abbey established a monastic grange at Radway in the 12th century, which would later become the foundation for the famous Radway Grange.
The connection to Stoneleigh Abbey was particularly significant, as the abbey itself had interesting origins. Originally founded as a hermitage called Radmore in Staffordshire in 1141, the Cistercian monastery was relocated to Stoneleigh in Warwickshire around 1154-1155 after the hermits complained of disturbances from passing foresters. The monks were granted land in Warwickshire by Henry II, and the first stone of their new church was laid on 13 April 1155.
Evidence of the medieval settlement at Radway survives today as earthworks, visible 400 metres north of the current village. The medieval village shows characteristics of organized drainage and spring line settlement, with visible evidence of ridge and furrow agricultural patterns preserved in the landscape.
The Battle of Edgehill and Civil War Period
Radway achieved national historical significance as the location of the Battle of Edgehill, fought on 23 October 1642. This was the first major engagement of the English Civil War, fought between the armies of King Charles I and Parliament in the open fields between Radway and the neighbouring village of Kineton.
The battle was indecisive but marked a point of no return in the English Civil War. Both armies numbered approximately 12,000-15,000 men, with roughly 1,000 killed and 2,000-3,000 wounded. The Royalist army descended from Edge Hill to force the battle, with Prince Rupert leading a devastating cavalry charge that initially scattered the Parliamentarian cavalry. However, the battle devolved into a brutal, inconclusive engagement lasting until nightfall.
The aftermath of the battle left many wounded soldiers in Radway village. Contemporary reports suggest the bitterly cold night with hard frost helped many wounded survive by allowing their wounds to congeal. Tragically, Prince Rupert later launched a surprise attack on Kineton, killing many of the battle’s wounded survivors who had been left in the village.
Post-Dissolution Changes and Religious Diversity
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in the 1530s, Radway’s monastic lands were granted to various members of Henry’s circle, notably the Coke family. As these lands were subsequently sold over the following years, the traditional manorial system of Radway gradually broke down.
The village developed a remarkable religious diversity during the 17th century. During and after the Commonwealth period, Radway became a centre of Puritanism. Most notably, the village developed a significant Quaker community. The persecution of Radway’s Quakers and the imprisonment of some members led to a historic emigration in the 1680s, when a small group left for a Quaker colony in Gloucester County, West New Jersey. Letters from these New Jersey emigrants still survive in local record offices, providing a fascinating glimpse into this early transatlantic migration.
The Quaker community in Radway was substantial enough to warrant its own meeting house, known as Oriel Cottage, which remained in use until 1850. They also established their own burial ground, testament to the strength and longevity of the Quaker presence in the village.
The Washington Family Connection
Radway Grange has a distinguished connection to American history through the Washington family. The Grange was once owned by Walter Light, whose daughter married Robert Washington in 1564. These were the great-great-great-grandparents of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The Washington family’s connection to Radway came through Elizabeth Light of Radway Grange, who married Robert Washington of Sulgrave Manor.
Sanderson Miller and Architectural Revolution
The 18th century brought Radway its most famous resident, Sanderson Miller (1716-1780), who transformed both the village and English architecture. Born at Radway Grange, Miller inherited the estate when he was 21 and began an ambitious program of Gothic Revival remodeling.
Miller redesigned the Elizabethan Radway Grange in Gothic Revival style, establishing his reputation as a pioneer of this architectural movement. His work at Radway included creating extensive landscape gardens and constructing the famous Octagonal Tower on Edge Hill, designed as a scale model of Guy’s Tower at Warwick Castle. The tower was strategically placed on the spot traditionally associated with King Charles I raising his standard before the Battle of Edgehill.
Miller’s innovations at Radway launched his career as one of England’s most influential amateur architects. His patron, George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton, helped establish his reputation, leading to commissions including the Shire Hall in Warwick, Hagley Hall in Worcestershire, and the Great Hall at Lacock Abbey. Miller was particularly renowned for his evocative mock “ruined” castles at estates including Hagley, Wimpole Hall, and Ingestre Hall.
Agricultural Transformation: Enclosure
Radway was enclosed in the 1750s, part of the broader parliamentary enclosure movement that transformed English agriculture. Specifically, Miller acquired the scarp edge following the enclosure of Radway in 1756, which allowed him to extend his landscaping activities up the Edge Hill escarpment. Tree-planting evidence suggests Miller continued developing the hillside landscape through the 1770s, with beech trees planted between 1768-1774.
This enclosure represented a significant shift from the medieval open-field system that had characterized Radway for centuries. The transformation enabled more efficient agricultural practices and allowed for the creation of Miller’s ambitious landscape park design.
Notable Residents and Later History
Beyond the Washington family connection, Radway Grange hosted many distinguished residents. Field Marshal Earl Haig, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces during World War I and founder of the poppy appeal, lived at the Grange before assuming his wartime command. The house also welcomed literary figures, with Henry Fielding reportedly reading portions of “Tom Jones” to a house party at the Grange before publication.
John Profumo, MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, is believed to have stayed in Radway. The village also became associated with Sir Steven Runciman, the renowned Byzantine historian, who made it his home village at the end of his life.
Ecclesiastical History
The present Church of St. Peter was designed by Gothic Revival architect Charles Buckeridge and built in 1866, replacing an earlier medieval church. The original church, dating from 1321, was demolished when the new church was consecrated. Inside St. Peter’s are memorials reset from the previous church, including the 15th-century effigy of a priest and the notable effigy of Captain Henry Kingsmill, who fought for Charles I and died in the Battle of Edgehill.
The churchyard contains historically significant burials, including the memorial to Elizabeth Heritage, who died in 1645 and must have witnessed the momentous Battle of Edgehill. The last burial in the old churchyard was Fiennes Sanderson Miller in 1862, grandson of the famous architect.
Modern Radway
Today, Radway remains a village of approximately 250 residents, concentrated in two parts separated by the grounds of Radway Grange. The larger settlement lies to the east, while the original focus was at Westend, where the site of the original Saxon church and its graveyard can still be found. The village lies within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and serves as a waypoint for numerous walking trails, including the notable Battlefields Trail.
The Battle of Edgehill continues to be commemorated annually, with wreaths laid by historical groups such as the Sealed Knot on the anniversary of the battle. A permanent exhibition on the battle provides visitors with insights into this pivotal moment in English history.
Radway’s rich tapestry of history encompasses Saxon origins, medieval monasticism, Civil War battlefields, Quaker emigration, architectural innovation, and connections to both American presidential history and British military leadership. This small Warwickshire village has witnessed and participated in nearly every major current of English historical development, making it a remarkable microcosm of the nation’s past.
