Set out below is a simplified account of the escape. The table cross references to the pages on locations and heroes of the escape. A list of the places where Charles is believed to have slept during the escape can be found here.
| Day | Date (Julian Callendar) | Charles' movements and related action | Key locations: | Principal assistance provided by: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 1651 | After the Royalist forces were defeated at the Battle of Worcester, Charles escaped from St Martin's Gate and rode north with a group of officers, pausing for a brief conference at Barbourne Bridge. Near Kinver, they regrouped and agreed a plan to ride North try to cross into Wales and then sail to France. Charles Giffard, a recusant riding with Charles, suggested Boscobel House, owned by his family, as a good overnight resting place, but Whites Ladies, one mile away on the same estate, was decided to be better as it was more remote. | 1. Powick Bridge 2. Confluence of Teme and Severn 3. Worcester Cathedral 4. Commandery, Worcester 5. Fort Royal, Worcester 6. King Charles House, Worcester 7. Site of St Martin's Gate, Worcester 8. Barbourne Bridge 9. King's Arms, Ombesley 10. The Manor House at Whittington, Kinver 11. Stourbridge town centre | 1. Lord Wilmot - Officer, stayed with Charles; he was to assist him throughout the journey 2. Robert Swan - manservant to Wilmot 3. Lord Derby - Officer, accompanies Charles before riding off with most of the party towards Scotland. Was captured and executed. 4. Charles Giffard (pronounced Jiffard) - Officer, a prominent recusant, was the owner of White Ladies and Boscobel House 5. Francis Yates I - a servant, acted as guide through the later part of the day's journey; he was subsequently executed by Cromwell for his part in the escape. |
| 2 | 4 September 1651 | Charles arrived at White Ladies in early hours of the morning with Lord Wilmot, his main ally throughout the escape, and received considerable assistance from the Penderel family. He hid in woods at Spring Coppice during the day and that night walked to Madeley Court disguised as woodsman, with Richard Penderel, intent on crossing the Severn. On the way, there was a meal at Hobbal Grange and a fracas with a miller at Evelith Mill. | 12. White Ladies Priory ruins 13. Spring Coppice 14. Hobbal Grange ruins 15. Evelith Mill | 6. John Penderel - woodsman at White Ladies 7. George Penderel - servant at White Ladies 8. Richard Penderel - tenant at Hubbal Grange 9. William Penderel - caretaker at Boscobel 10. Jane Penderel - wife of William 11. Humphrey Penderel - miller at White Ladies 12. Francis Yates II - Brother in Law of the Penderels |
| 3 | 5 September 1651 | Royalists, Wolfe and Everel scouted the Severn and concluded it was impassable owing to the presence of Cromwell's troops. Charles hid in barn at Madeley during day and at night walked back, having difficulty crossing Wesley Brook but eventually arriving at Boscobel House. | 16. Madeley Barn 17. Wesley Brook | 13. Francis Wolfe - owner of Madeley Court, provided a meal and the barn for shelter. 14. Richard Everel - servant at Madeley Court |
| 4 | 6 September 1651 | Charles spent the day in the famous pollarded oak tree at Boscobel supported by Major Careless and then the evening in a priest hole. | 18. Boscobel House 19. Royal Oak at Boscobel | 15. Major William Careless - had fought at Worcester, was with Charles in the tree |
| 5 | 7 September 1651 | Charles rode to Moseley Old Hall at 2:00am with the Penderel brothers. At Penderford Mill, three brothers returned home with the horses and Charles continued with the other two on foot. | 20. Pendeford Mill 21. Moseley Old Hall | |
| 6 | 8 September 1651 | Charles stayed Moseley Old Hall, hiding briefly in priest hole during the day. | 16. Thomas Whitgreave - husband of owner of Moseley Old Hall 17. Father John Huddleston - Chaplin at Moseley Old Hall, provided spiritual guidance and bathed Charles' feet. |
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| 7 | 9 September 1651 | Charles started out in early hours and travelled to Bentley Hall, home of Colonel John Lane and his sister Jane. | 22. Bentley Hall | 18. John Lane - owner of Bentley Hall |
| 8 | 10 September 1651 | Charles left Bentley, in the guise of a servant called Will Jackson, heading for Abbots Leigh, near Bristol, with Lord Wilmot, Henry Lascelles and Jane Lane. His horse was re-shod at Bromsgrove and later there was a detour to avoid troops just outside Stratford. Overnight stay at Long Marsden. | 23. Ye Olde Black Cross, Bromsgrove 24. Kings Lane, Stratford 25. King's Lodge | 19. Jane Lane - the Colonel's sister, accompanied Charles to Abbot's Leigh, riding pillion 20. John Lascelles - the Colonel's cousin, also accompanied Charles. |
| 9 | 11 September 1651 | They travelled onto Cirencester, staying overnight at an inn. | 26. The Fleece (possible) | |
| 10 | 12 September 1651 | Arrived at Abbots Leigh, near Bristol and stayed at the grand Old Leigh Court (now demolished). The Nortons, who were the owners of the house, did not penetrate Charles' disguise. | 27. Old Leigh Court | 21. John Pope - Butler at Leigh Court, recognised Charles and then worked to assist him |
| 11 | 13 September 1651 | At Old Leigh Court, Pope, the butler was occupied looking for opportunities to sail from Bristol. | ||
| 12 | 14 September 1651 | At Old Leigh Court. | ||
| 13 | 15 September 1651 | At Old Leigh Court - Pope established no boats were available from Bristol and suggested the South Coast as a better place to find a passage to France. He also suggested Trent Manor as a place to stay, where the owner, Colonel Wyndham, was a Royalist sympathiser known to Charles. | ||
| 14 | 16 September 1651 | Charles set out from Old Leigh Court heading for Trent, with Lascelles and Jane Lane. Wilmot rode on ahead to Trent Manor to make arrangements. Overnight near Castle Cary. | 28. The Old House, Ansford | |
| 15 | 17 September 1651 | To Trent, stayed at Trent Manor, home of Colonel Francis Wyndham. | 29. Trent Manor | 22. Colonel Francis Wyndham - owner of Trent Manor 23. Mrs Anne Wyndham (ne Gerard) - wife of the Colonel, heiress to Trent manor |
| 16 | 18 September 1651 | At Trent Manor. | ||
| 17 | 19 September 1651 | At Trent Manor. Wilmot contacted Ellesdon, a merchant in Lyme, who arranged for one of his tenants, Limbry, to take Charles to France from Charmouth, near Lyme Regis, on his small coasting vessel. | 24. Captain Ellisdon - merchant 25. Stephen Limbry - Boatman, may not have known Charles true identity, but probably suspected |
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| 18 | 20 September 1651 | At Trent Manor. | ||
| 19 | 21 September 1651 | At Trent Manor. | ||
| 20 | 22 September 1651 | Rode to Charmouth and waited at Queen's Arms. The cover story for booking rooms at the Inn was that they were a runaway honeymoon party - Wilmot was the groom, Wyndham's cousin Juliana Coningsby the bride and Charles the manservant. Peters and Wyndham also present. | 30. Elsdon Farm, Monkton Wylde 31. The Abbots House (formerly the Queens Arms), Charmouth | 26. Juliana Coningsby - cousin of Wyndham - accompanies the party to Charmouth 27. Henry Peters - Wyndham servant |
| 21 | 23 September 1651 | Limbry failed to turn up. It seems, his wife had worked out that his business was risky and she prevented him from leaving the house; or perhaps, Limbry hadn't been paid. Next morning, Charles set out for Bridport, where he took a room at the George Inn. Meanwhile, the ostler at the Queen's Arms (Benjamin Westley) had rumbled Charles and had alerted the authorities to his presence in the vicinity. Charles' party Set off back to Trent via the remote Lee Lane but got lost and took refuge at the George Inn in Broadwindsor. | 32. Old George Inn, Bridport 33. Lee Lane, Bridport 34. King Charles Cottage, The Square, Broadwindsor, on site of George Inn | 28. Rhys Jones - landlord of the George Inn |
| 22 | 24 September 1651 | At daybreak, the soldiers left the village so the Royal party were able to return to Trent Manor. | ||
| 23 - 33 | 25 September 1651 - 5 October 1651 | In the morning, Wilmot and Swan rode to Salisbury to plan a passage from somewhere other than Dorset, while Charles remained at Trent Manor for eleven more days, occasionally using the priest hole when troops were in the area. A famous quotation from Anne Wyndham's diaries: "Trent, the ark in which God shut him up when the floods of rebellion had covered the face of his dominions." Meanwhile, in Salisbury, Wilmot, helped by Robert Phelips and John Coventry made arrangements for Charles to be taken to Heale House, Middle Winterslow, closer to Sussex, where it looked likely that a passage to France could be arranged. | 35. The Chapter House (formerly The King's Arms), St John's Street, Salisbury | 29. Colonel Robert Phelips - Royalist 30. Sir John Coventry - Royalist |
| 34 | 6 October 1651 | Left Trent again, dined at George Inn, Mere and travelled on to Heale House, home of Mrs Hyde. | 36. George Inn, Mere 37. Heale House | 31. Katherine Hyde, owner of Heale House 32. Lawrence Hyde, nephew of Mrs Hyde 33. Rev Humphrey Henchman, Canon of Salisbury Cathedral |
| 35 | 7 October 1651 | Charles pretended to leave permanently, visited Stonehenge, and returned known only to Mrs Hyde. | 38 Stonehenge | |
| 36 - 40 | 8 October 1651 - 12 October 1651 | Charles continued at Heale House, hidden in a back room. Meanwhile, Wilmot visited a Royalist, (Gunter), who conferred with a French merchant (Mancel) in Chichester. Together they made arrangements with a Sea Captain (Tattessell) to transport Charles from Shoreham to France in a coal-brig called The Surprise. | 34. Colonel George Gunter - Royalist 35. Francis Mancell - merchant 36. Captain Nicholas Tattessell - Captain of The Surprise |
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| 41 | 13 October 1651 | Charles left Heale at 2:00am with Phelips. Re-joined Wilmot, Swan and Gunter at Old Winchester Hill and travelled on to Hambledon where he stayed with Gunter's sister, Mrs Symons. | 39. Old Winchester Hill 40 Broadhalfpenny Down, site of conference 41. Bury Lodge, near cottage now named King's Rest 42. Hinton Daubney House | 37. Mrs Ursula Symons - Colonel Gunter's sister |
| 42 | 14 October 1651 | The party travelled to Brighton, pausing at Houghton. While riding near Bramber bridge they came across a group of soldiers; Charles and Wilmot diverted over the Downs and arrived at the George Inn, Brighton in the evening where the party reconvened and had supper with Tattessell and Mancel. Charles was recognised and an additional fee paid. | 43. George & Dragon, Houghton 44. Arundel Castle 45. Bramber Bridge 46. George Inn, Brighton | |
| 43 | 15 October 1651 | Charles and Wilmot rode to Shoreham at 4:00am, boarded The Surprise and sailed at 7:00am. Landed at Fécamp, France on the morning of 16 October. Tattessell subsequently bought the Old Ship Inn with his fee for services rendered. | 47. Shoreham Harbour 48. Old Ship Hotel, Brighton. | 38. Richard Kemp - mate of The Surprise |