CIVIL War buffs may think they know all there is to know about the bloody clashes between the dashing Cavaliers and the Roundheads in and around Worcester.

But 900 17th-Century pamphlets, found stashed away in a Home Office vault, are sure to shed more light on the role the Faithful City played in one of the bloodiest periods in Old Blighty's history.

Dating from the 1640s to the 1670s, the pamphlets provide documentary evidence of the controversies raging in the country at the time leading up to and after the beheading of Charles I in 1649. The volumes are thought to have formed part of the King's own collection. Handwritten notes in the margins are believed to have been scribbled there by the King's own courtiers.

It is unclear how the pamphlets - which are bound in 17 volumes and said to be in "perfect" condition - came to be in the Home Office's possession, but they have now been handed over to the British Library after lying in the vault for more than 100 years.

Although there is no mention of the infamous battle at Powick Bridge on September 23, 1642, which marked the beginning of the English Civil War, there is a fascinating account of how Royalist Prince Rupert - together with 5,000 men - clashed with the Earl of Essex and other Parliamentarians at the city's gates on December 10, 1642.

The account of the battle, thought to have been written by a Parliamentarian, says: "A True and Reall (sic) Relation of a Great Victorie (sic) by the Parliament forces that were billeted in Worster (sic), against Prince Rupert and his Cavaliers, who came to take possession of the said city December 10, 1642.

"Likewise declaring the number that were slain on both sides, and how Prince Rupert after two hours fight retreated.

"His excellency (Earl of Essex) divided his army into severall (sic) squadrons... to hinder and stop the proceedings of the Malignant and Papisticall (sic) Crew... They took much armes (sic) and ammunition that were going to the King's Army, and have also hindered and stopped their passage from going into other counties... and although they found out a by-way to Worster, yet their successe (sic) was very bad. For though Prince Rupert with about five thousand stole from Oxford to Worster, thinking to come upon the Parliamentary forces unawares, yet they

having some information of his coming, they prepared themselves and when he was within halfe (sic) a mile of Worster, they let fly a warning piece at them. But they immediately marched up to the City Gates, and gave the Parliamentary forces a charge, but after two skirmishes Prince Rupert retreated, leaving some armes and ammunition behind him, together with diverse of his men slain."

Although Rupert - a nephew of Charles I - was beaten back, he was not defeated, and spent the winter extending the Royalist control of the country around Oxford. He relieved Banbury at the end of December and took Cirencester by storm on February 2, 1643. Later, having failed to take Bristol, he took Birmingham and Lichfield.

"These volumes seem to be a blow by blow account of the 1640s and the pamphlets are bound chronologically," said Giles Mandelbrote, curator of the British Collection (1501 to 1800) at the British Library, who has been looking through the pamphlets.

"A lot of people at the time thought the world was going to come to an end when they overthrew the monarchy. There are a lot of pamphlets looking at the role Parliament and the church had, and these subjects come to life."

Mr Mandelbrote said the pamphlets would have been the equivalent of a newspaper in their day.

"These pamphlets came out virtually every week giving domestic news and were something quite new on this scale," he said. "It marks the beginning of periodical journalism in Britain.

"The present day equivalent is if one went out every day and bought all the newspapers and bound them chronologically; you have opposing views on the same event being represented."

As well as detailing the Civil War, the records also contain details of unusual discoveries, including an explorer's account of meeting "hairy giants" on a South Sea island in 1669.

"The pamphlets only came to us last Thursday and work is at a very early stage," added Mr Mandelbrote. "It's a very exciting addition to our collection."