OXFORD professor historian Dr Clive Holmes, recently visited St Mary the Virgin Church at Bromesberrow Heath to view the two English Civil War banners which are held in the Yate Chapel.

And Dr Holmes, who was Fellow and Tutor in History at Lady Margaret Hall from 1987 to 2011 and as appointed to an Emeritus Fellowship in 2011, declared the flags to be "the finest examples in the whole of England".

The banners date back to 1643, the second year of the English Civil War and two years before the Battle of Ledbury.

The flags are both believe to have both been carried by Royalist officer, with one revealing his loyalty and the other, as a trophy of war.

They have been the property of the church for hundreds of years, having been repaired by specialist in carpentry and needlecraft, and are now installed in a specially made cabinet.

Dr Holmes said he had wanted to see the Civil War flags as part of his research for an article that will feature in a journal, to be published by Oxford University.

He added: “These two banners are quite extraordinary, one is Royalist and the other Parliamentarian. It is unique to have two flags dating back to 1643 and these were owned by Colonel Rice Yate, a young Royalist officer who captured the red Parliamentarian standard and kept it alongside his own white Royalist banner; and also they are the finest example in the whole of England”.

Former Church Wardens, Nick Winter and Jan Long gave the guests, Dr Holmes and his wife, Felicity, a guided tour of the church and provided documents and other items giving the history of the two standards.