Clubmen

Organised Clubmen in Worcestershire met on Woodbury Hill on 5 March 1645 and under the leadership of Charles Nott, the parson of Shelsley drew up the Woodbury Declaration, which protests at the "utter ruin by the outrages and violence of the soldier; threatening to fire our houses; endeavouring to ravish our wives and daughters, and menacing our persons",[3][4] and presented it to Henry Bromley (of Holt), the Royalist Sheriff of Worcestershire.

Stiffer resistance was met by Oliver Cromwell in attacking a larger group in the ancient hillfort on Hambledon Hill.

[7] As the Civil War continued, the Clubmen began to grow increasingly impatient with the lack of seriousness in the approach of both King and Parliament to signing any relevant or significant peace treaty.

[8] The longer the war continued, the more substantial the negative impact on local communities, via plundering and heavy taxation.

[9] A peace treaty was therefore highly sought after by ordinary people and so Parliament and Charles I's failure in establishing one only served to increase tension and give further motivations and aims to the Clubmen.