Battle recreated at Chirk Castle event

Visitors from far and wide came to see the recreation of the 1165 showdown between the forces of Henry II and the combined forces of the Welsh princes.

Visitors were able to watch the battle and learn about everyday life in medieval society and taste some authentic food and drink.

For many it is a chance to escape the daily grind of modern life, but for one it was just her ninth day on the planet.

Paul and Lindsay Blessing are so dedicated to their hobby, they came along with their nine-day-old baby girl, Anwen - the youngest member at the Battle of Crogen.

Paul, 46, a passenger boat manager at Chester Boats, said: "I came to something like this and I actually asked someone if it was their job, and they told me it was a hobby. I couldn't believe it. I went back the next year and met someone who invited me round to his house to find out more. He's an archaeologist in his real life and I expected him to be in full costume but he wasn't.

"The best part about it is the people you meet and the places you get to see. When the public goes home at the end of the day, you have the whole place to yourself. There is live music and we all sit around the fire socialising."

Lindsay, 37, who is part of a university learning support team, added: "This is part of our life and we really love coming to Chirk Castle. It's one of the highlights of the year for us and we won't miss it. I was planning on coming even if I was still carrying Anwen."

Local re-enactment group Cwmwd Ial made an encampment to represent the Welsh forces, and Les Miles des Marches represented the English forces.

Visitors had a chance to take a look around the different encampments, see the differences in arms and armour, and learn about everyday life in the early medieval period.

Fiona Grant, 50, an archaeologist from Glyn Ceiriog, was demonstrating how to make authentic food and drink.

Her main task of the day was to cook beef in the cauldron along with purple carrots and carrots.

She said: "I got into this kind of thing through my husband and we brought up our children doing reenactments. I'm an archaeologist in my every day life, so for me I love getting out and about, seeing new places and getting to experience castles like this."

Martin Latham, 68, of Hengoed near Oswestry, is an experienced reenactor and has been taking part for more than 30 years.

"I'm retired now but I taught medieval history so I was teaching my hobby," he said.

"I got into this a long time ago and introduced my wife. We even bought horses because you can't be a real knight without a horse.

"It's a huge relief for me to get out of the stress of normal life. There's no TV, no phones, no radios which is such a change."

But Martin warned it's not easy hobby and takes a lot of dedication.

He added: "My wife threatens to retire me every year but I'm still here. It is a lot of hard work. One year I broke my neck coming off my horse and my wife broke her back.

"The training is rigorous and can be quite dangerous, especially when horses are involved but it's great fun. We're always looking for new members to get involved."

Fellow history teacher Matthew Godwin, 23, from Shrewsbury, agreed it is a chance to get away from every day responsibilities.

He added: "We have people from all walks of life here. There's a stocks manager at the hospital, a customer service advisor, a health and safety officer. Anyone can get into reenactments but it does help if you have a love for history.

"It's great to all get together, cook up food, listen to live music and have a sing song. It's a real community."

Miles des Marches, a group local to Shrewsbury, is looking to attract more members.

Anyone interested should contact the group on their Facebook pages Miles des Marches - Shrewsbury Levy or visit mdm.org.uk