Caldecote Hall became home to the Purefoy family - an ancient family of Warwickshire landowners. The Hall is perhaps best know for being besieged by Royalists during the English Civil War. In 1642, Prince Rupert, a nephew of Charles I, had come with his troops from Holland to support his Uncle. He assembled them at Tuttle Hill, Nuneaton which is the high ground to the South overlooking the hall. It was his intention of capturing Colonel William Purefoy, Member of Parliament for Coventry, and a staunch and active Parliamentarian. On 28 August 1642, he marched with his men against Caldecote Hall, probably crossing the river near to where the cache has been placed, but the Colonel was not in residency, so he lived to tell the tale. Nevertheless, a siege of the Hall ensued, and a number of Rupert’s soldiers were killed. Little did he know that the defendants of this prize, against his well trained soldiers, were just Mrs. Joane Purefoy, her maids, her son in law George Abbott, and eight men. The maids repeatedly loaded the armoury of twelve muskets. Prince Rupert was thwarted by this sterling band, but succeeded in setting fire to the building to drive them out. The house was burned to the ground, but Rupert recognised the bravery of his opponents, and did them no harm. He even asked George Abbott to join his ranks, an offer that he declined. Colonel Purefoy’s convenient absence led him later to be one of the signatories to the Death Warrant of Charles I. However, at the time of the Restoration of the Monarchy, all Purefoy Estates were confiscated by the Crown due to his anti Royalist actions. The only part of the Hall to be reclaimed from the charred remains was the oak hall way door, which remains to this day as the door to the porch of the adjacent Parish Church of St. Theobald and St. Chad. This door, said to have hinges from the 13th Century, was peppered with bullets, and today is a poignant reminder of that day in 1642. The church contains an alabaster monument dedicated to George Abbott for his valiant defence of the Hall. You can just see the little church spire to the left of the hall as you walk to the cache. Whilst the hall is private you can walk into the grounds through the main entrance to view the little church and it's famous door.