On November the 5th the firework displays mark the foiled plot to blow up Houses of Parliament - but it seems the actual sparks at the time were really flying here in Staffordshire.
If you remember from your school history, Guy Fawkes and his colleagues set 36 barrels of gunpowder under Parliament, attempting to assassinate King James I, the nobles, bishops and members of the Commons in one fell swoop But, when Bonfire Night's Guy Fawkes made the headlines - as he was arrested in London, in the cellars under the Houses of Parliament (match in hand, so to speak) -, his fellow plotters thought it better to do a runner and flee up North.
However, when they got there, an accident with some, er, gunpowder(!) in Staffordshire was the final blow to their inglorious conspiracy. Holbeche House Although the plot is commemorated every year by bonfire night celebrations, most people are unaware that it was Robert Catesby who was the main protagonist, while Guy Fawkes was just the 'hit man' - an explosives expert really.
So, Catesby wasin fact heading home when he led his band of fugitives up here to Holbeche House.
Although this final hiding place of the plotters is nowadays placed in the West Midland County, in 1605 Holbeche House (near Dudley) was classed as in Staffordshire county.
The plotters, having heard of Fawkes’ capture, arrived in Staffordshire on the 7th of November. The date isn’t the one we all remember - but it was a memorable occasion for the men hiding at Holbeche.  | | The plotters targeted the Houses of Parliament |
They had a store of weapons and gunpowder which had become wet from the pouring rain.
It could have been the stress of being on the run, maybe lack of knowledge about explosives - or maybe they hadn’t read their fireworks safety guide – but for some reason they decided the best way to dry out gunpowder was to put it in front of the fire... Stray spark They certainly learnt their lesson the hard (and loud) way. A stray spark landed in the gunpowder and caused an explosion - which blinded one of the men and injured others. It wasn’t just the pain from the gunpowder accident that affected them – because, as the gunpowder fizzled out, so did the men’s fighting spirit. The next day the house was surrounded.
Catesby and fellow conspirators, the Wrights and Percy, died from their wounds; the others, Thomas Wintour, Rookwood and Grant, were captured. Five others remained at large but over the following days and months the rest of the plotters were caught.
Nowadays Holbeche House keeps its secrets - it's now a nursing home!
For those lucky enough to get permission to visit it, the bullet marks from that skirmish four hundred years ago can still be seen on the walls. Midlands Plot? It's interesting to note that the Gunpowder Conspiracy is in fact sometimes even called the 'Midlands plot' because it was hatched by a Midlander - Robert Catesby.
There is even another piece of evidence linking this failed revolution with this area. Another Staffordshire landmark - Lichfield Cathedral - was the place, it's said, where the notorious plot was actually hatched.
But that's a story for another day... | 
