People often ask me if I find the research needed to write good historical fiction is hard work. My answer is always the same – if you love finding out about the past as much as I do then research doesn’t feel like work at all!

I often find out something unusual when reading about life in the past, and delving into the impact that the English Civil War had on Oxford is no exception. I’m no geographer but I’ve often wondered why North Parade in Oxford is actually south of South Parade; it doesn’t make any sense. But when you look at what was going on there in the seventeenth century it all becomes perfectly clear. King Charles I had his headquarters in the area around Oxford University whilst the Parliamentarians held north Oxford. So the Royalist front line was to their north and was situated roughly where North Parade is today. The Roundhead’s frontline was to their south, hence South Parade. So there is a logical historical explanation for a strange looking geographical anomaly!

One of my aims in writing novels is to educate my readers through fiction. I hope that those who read ‘The Cavalier Historian’ will get a broader understanding of the English Civil War whilst enjoying a good book. If you want to pre-order your copy it is available on Amazon now.