Knaresborough Castle will reverberate to the sound of a time when the country was torn apart by civil war this Saturday (12 August 2017) as a regiment of the re-enactment society The Sealed Knot rolls into town.
The Sir Thomas Glemham’s Regiment of Foote will be the main attraction at the Civil War Day, giving visitors an opportunity to find out what life was like in the 17th Century when England was torn apart by Civil War and Englishman fought against Englishman.
Knaresborough Castle played an important role in the English Civil War, when Sir Henry Slingsby’s Royalist forces were besieged by the Parliamentary army. This significant part of the castle’s history will be brought to life on Saturday when the Sealed Knot Society re-enactors present a spectacular experience, taking the castle back to a time when the sounds of cannon, musket and pike drills filled the Knaresborough air.
At Saturday’s Civil War Day visitors to the castle can:
- Drop in on a ‘living history’ encampment to see aspects of day to day life for both civilians and soldiers. There’s a chance to ask questions and handle items from cookware to weaponry
attend a ‘Court Leet’ in the castle’s Tudor Courtroom, where minor offences were dealt with by a panel of local gentry – hear cases and hand out punishments
witness a small skirmish as the Royalist held castle once again comes under fire from the forces of Parliament - Visitors can also take advantage of reduced price tickets to look around the Courthouse Museum, to see a number of genuine artefacts from the days of the Civil War including the infamous shirt worn by the Royalist Sir Henry Slingsby on the day of his execution.
Diane Saxon is Access and Learning Manager with Harrogate Borough Council’s arts and museums service. She said:
We’re delighted to be welcoming the Sealed Knot to the castle, to bring to life a turbulent time in the castle’s 900 years.
Saturday will offer a great opportunity for visitors to experience really ‘hands on’ history – complete with the sights and sounds of 1644 as Sir Thomas Glemham’s Regiment of Foote lay siege to the stronghold once again.
Civil War Day at Knaresborough Castle is on Saturday 12 August from 11am – 4pm.
For more about the history of Knaresborough, go to https://www.harrogate.gov.uk/castlehistory
