600 years of history in one weekend, Kenilworth Castle - 29 & 30 August 2010

From the Normans to the English Civil War, 600 years of English history and warfare will be on display over the August bank holiday weekend at Kenilworth Castle & Elizabethan Garden in a stunning two-day event looking at Kenilworth Through the Ages!

Over the weekend, re-enactors from four key periods in Kenilworth’s history will re-create some of the battles and peacetime events which left their mark on the castle’s design and structure, from the first construction of the keep during the Norman period, to the destruction of the castle’s defences following the English Civil War. Each day, Kenilworth’s main arena area will highlight the skills of soldiers from different eras:
• Re-enactors from Conquest displaying the Norman might that saw the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings defeated in the 11th and 12th centuries.
• Knights in shining armour demonstrating their skills on horseback in mounted skill at arms, whilst their squires engage in foot drills and combat
• Four Tudor guns – including one of the only replica hail’shot piece guns in existence, and anti-personnel gun used on board ships like Henry VIII’s flagship Mary Rose, and an early Tudor ‘culverin’, a cannon that would have been mounted on a bed stock and frame in castles like Kenilworth
• The Marquess of Winchester’s Regiment, demonstrating musket firing and pike drill

“Each of the groups will have their own living history encampment, so you cannot only see how people lived in each of the different periods, but also compare and contrast the advances in the weaponry that were used by the military across Kenilworth Castle’s 600 years of active military service,” explains English Heritage’s regional events manager, Tom Course. “One of the highlights of the event will be the firing of the four Tudor guns, using real gunpowder – the authentic sound of these cannons firing is one that resounded around battlefields for the next 500 years.”

Indeed, although the guns will not be loaded with any ammunition – to obtain a blank fire, the gunpowder is put in, followed by dry and then wet wadding but with no projectile – firing them will be the only person in the UK outside of the military who is qualified to fire real cannon balls, re-enactor and arms expert, Colin Herriott of the Courtney Household and Stargun Company.

The action-packed event runs from 11.00am to 5.00pm on Sunday 29 and Bank Holiday Monday 30 August at Kenilworth Castle & Elizabethan Garden, with castle itself being open from 10am. Admission prices are £9.60 for adults, £8.50 for concessions and £5.80 for children, or £25.00 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children). English Heritage members receive discounted entry of £2.00, £1.50, £1.00 and £5.00 respectively.

Pre-booking is strongly recommended, call 0870 333 1183 to book or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/events Please note that a Park & Ride service operated by Johnson’s Shuttle Bus runs every 10-15 minutes from 10am – 6pm from the Kenilworth Clock Tower bus stop (in front of the Holiday Inn). Visitors are requested to park in the town centre car parks, charges may apply. There are limited disabled parking spaces in the main Castle car park, please ring ahead for more details.

For more details, please call 01926 852078 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworthcastle

ENDS

For further media information, please contact: Jay Commins PRO – English Heritage Tel: 0113 251 5698 Mob: 07810 546567 Email: jay@fim.org.uk