Historical Poems

The poems are listed in alphabetical order of title; click here for a listing by first line.

Title First line Notes
The American Rebellion Twas not while England’s sword unsheathed
The Anvil (The Making of England) England’s on the anvil – hear the hammers ring
The Bells and Queen Victoria Gay go up and gay go down
Big Steamers Oh, where are you going to, all you Big Steamers
‘Brown Bess’ In the days of lace-ruffles, perukes and brocade
Danegeld It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
The Dawn Wind At two o’clock in the morning, if you open your window and listen
The Dutch in the Medway If wars were won by feasting
Edgehill Fight (The Civil Wars) Naked and grey the Cotswolds stand
The French Wars The boats of Newhaven and Folkestone and Dover
The Glory of the Garden Our England is a garden that is full of stately views
King James I The child of Mary Queen of Scots
The King’s Job Once on a time was a King anxious to understand
My Father’s Chair There are four good legs to my Father’s Chair
Norman and Saxon My son,’ said the Norman Baron, ‘I am dying, and you will be heir
The Pirates in England When Rome was rotten-ripe to her fall
The Reeds of Runnymede At Runnymede, at Runnymede
The River’s Tale Twenty bridges from Tower to Kew
The Roman Centurion’s Song Legate, I had the news last night – my cohort ordered home
The Secret of the Machines We were taken from the ore-bed and the mine
‘Together’ When Horse and Rider each can trust the other every-where
With Drake in the Tropics South and far south below the Line