Cromwell’s Soldiers Smashed These Medieval Tombs | Civil War Scars at Ripon Cathedral

During the English Civil War, Parliamentarian soldiers entered churches across England and destroyed what they believed were “superstitious images.”

At Ripon Cathedral, the damage can still be seen today. Medieval tomb effigies, carved centuries earlier, bear the scars of iconoclasm carried out by Cromwell’s forces and reformers like William Dowsing.

In this film we explore the broken monuments of Ripon Cathedral and the violent religious upheaval that led to their destruction.

00:00 Civil War Damage at Ripon Cathedral
03:22 Stained Glass Destroyed in the English Civil War
04:00 The Broken Markenfield Tombs
07:00 William Dowsing and the Iconoclasts
08:10 The Attack on Ripon Cathedral
08:52 Cromwell and the War Against “Idolatry”
09:20 A Cathedral That Still Stands

These stone knights once lay untouched for centuries.
Then the Civil War arrived.

Faces were smashed. Hands broken. Monuments defaced.

The scars remain.

This is the story of how England’s past was attacked inside its own churches.

Locations Featured
Ripon Cathedral – North Yorkshire

Topics Covered
English Civil War
Oliver Cromwell
William Dowsing
Parliamentarian iconoclasm
Medieval tomb effigies
Puritan destruction of church imagery
Ripon Cathedral history

This video explores:
• Ripon Cathedral history
• English Civil War iconoclasm
• Medieval tomb effigies
• William Dowsing and destruction of churches

About The Black Banner

The Black Banner explores the forgotten history of England — its knights, monasteries, tombs, and sacred places.

Memoria Angliae Servatur
The memory of England is preserved.

© The Black Banner UK 2026
All footage, narration, and motion graphics created by Andy Lunn.

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Step into the shadows of England’s past. This channel explores medieval history, English battles, lost kings, castles, myths, executions, and legends in a cinematic and authentic style.

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Видео Cromwell’s Soldiers Smashed These Medieval Tombs | Civil War Scars at Ripon Cathedral канала The Black Banner