Commemorative plaque 57097

This blue commemorative plaque records: Talbot Ture and the Monarch's Way. Welcome to one of Stow's 'tures', an ancient word peculiar to this area, meaning alleyway. One theory is that they were used to count livestock in and out of the Square on market days. Alternatively, they may simply have been a means of access to the property at the rear of the plot. In 1651 King Charles I's eldest son's bid to regain the crown in the English Civil War failed when he was defeated at the Battle of Worcester. He fled to France, passing through Stow on 11th September 1651. The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath which passes through here, and follows his escape route. He returned to England in 1660 to become King Charles II. Recorded plaque organisation: Stow and District Civic Society.

The plaque commemorates the historical significance of Stow as part of the escape route for Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, marking a crucial moment leading to his eventual restoration as king in 1660. The 'tures' or alleyways are local features that may have aided in his secretive passage through the town.