Knights clash at Battle Of Shrewsbury Medieval Weekend

Knights took to the field at Battlefield 1403 for the inaugural two-day event this weekend, which involved swordsmen and women showing off their medieval fighting skills.

Visitor numbers took a serious hit due to the wet weather, but the knights in their heavy armour and chainmail will have been glad of cooler conditions compared to the sweltering heat in the days leading up to it.

Matthew Howarth, who helped set up the festival with Eventplan, said: "It's probably a bit easier for them in this weather when they're being weighed down by six stone of armour.

"The weather hasn't been great but people have been very supportive. We want to build on this year on year."

The history of the Battlefield site goes back 616 years and was the venue for one of the bloodiest battles fought on British soil.

The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought between King Henry IV and a rebellious faction led by the Percy family in 1403, and it was the first time the English longbow was used on both sides of the battlefield.

Visitors to the event were taken back in time to medieval Shropshire to see the sights of everyday life leading up to the battle.

People had the chance to see knights in armour and archers preparing for battle.

There was also living history, including traditional crafts and cookery, and spectators cheered and jeered as knights took each other on in lively re-enactments.

Matthew added: "We've had demonstrations of how people used to live and, most importantly, showed people what happened on the fields between here and Tesco. We wanted to show people the main points of the battle, who died and at what point and what significance each major moment had.

"The Battle of Shrewsbury was the starting point for everything. It was the first time there were so many archers in the field. It was important in the start of the War of the Roses."

He also feels it was valuable for educating youngsters.

"It's good for learning to be as interactive as possible," he said. "We wanted to try and give people a sense of how it would have felt to have been involved."

One visitor, Jenny Marshall from Radbrook, Shrewsbury, said it was good to learn more about such a major historical event that happened in her home town.

She said: "I don't remember learning about any of this when I was at school. History lessons were more about Henry XIII, Queen Victoria and that sort of thing.

"It should be taught more in schools really. It's a good thing to have this event because it gives people chane to learn about the history of the town."

Elliot Richards, from Sundorne, Shrewsbury, added: "It's crazy to imagine that people were shooting each other to death with bows and arrows where people now potter around Tesco's and the Sunday market.

"I hope they do the event again next year, even though the weather has been shocking."