History brought alive at Whittington Castle event

Drill displays, weapons demonstrations and talks will be delivered during the event at Whittington Castle next month.

Castle bosses said they were delighted to be able to welcome members of the 5/60th Royal American (Rifles) historical re-enactors group to the property for the first time. The group will depict what life was like in the Napoleonic period of British history during 1797 to 1815.

Visitors of all ages will be able to join in during the event over the weekend of March 8 and 9 when a family rifle drill is staged.

Castle manager Sue Ellis said: "Oswestry was a town which received over 300 Napoleonic Prisoners of War 200 years ago.

"These elite officers were billeted with local families and stayed four years – in a town with a population at the time of 1,000 people, these prisoners must have caused quite a stir.

"When Napoleon abdicated in April 1814 the prisoners returned home. It will be strange to see riflemen, Redcoats and French re-enactors 200 years on at Whittington Castle.

"The 5th Battalion of the 60th Rifles was the first ever rifle battalion of the British Army.

"Raised in 1797, its soldiers wore a green jacket instead of the traditional red coat, and carried the famous Baker Rifle instead of the standard Brown Bess musket."

The re-enactor group's founder, Steve Davies, from Tamworth, said: "

I am really keen to recruit new members in the Shropshire area and welcome anyone with a love of history and is interested in joining us to come along and speak to our members at Whittington Castle."

There will be free entrance during the living history weekend.