Remembering famous battle

A record number of history enthusiasts from across the world took a step back in time over the weekend when the Battle of Blore Heath was re-enacted at a farm near Market Drayton.

The 550th anniversary of the famous battle was marked with a medieval living history event featuring a colourful largescale re-enactment of the battle itself to commemorate the conflict in the Wars of the Roses.

The Blore Heath Heritage Group hosted the Blore 550! open weekend celebrations on Saturday and yesterday at Blore Heath Farm.

Organisers said Blore 550! had something for everyone, including free guided walks and talks on the battlefield, cannon, cavalry and archery displays, a hog roast and medieval fashion and crafts stalls.

John Hegarty, BHHG chairman and owner of Blore Heath Farm, which has hosted the battlefield open days for the past 12 years, said the event was "fantastic" and more than 3,000 people had attended.

"We had record numbers of people and had a really good time," he said.

He said: "The medieval traders thought they had an excellent weekend."

"There were far more re-enactors than usual," he added.

"It was a lovely spectacle, seeing all the armour glistening in the sun."

Mr Hegarty said visitors from as far away as Australia and New Zealand had attended and traders had come from as far away as Poland and Czechoslovakia.

He said organisers were having a year off next year but would be back with a redesigned event in 2011.