Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2008

12 to 13 July – Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2008 promises to be the biggest and best medieval spectacular of them all.

In 2008 the annual Tewkesbury Medieval Festival has been taking place for an impressive 25 years, and this July will see enthusiasts travelling from all over Europe and beyond to take part in the special medieval spectacular.

Handsome knights will be laying their lives down for their kings, battling it out for the crown of England, whilst their families live in medieval encampments for the weekend – working, eating and sleeping just as they would have done during the legendary Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

You can also expect to see the festival’s time-travelling residents entertaining the crowds – complete with a skilful jester, mystifying audiences with magical tricks, and a minstrel, keeping crowds entertained to earn an honest penny. The organisers promise there may even be a dragon or two, and other mysterious and ferocious creatures lurking nearby.

Head to Tewkesbury for the weekend event and you will also find live music, combat displays and demonstrations of ancient crafts, as well as an array of stalls selling everything from suits of armour to bags of sweets.

A beer tent will help everyone get in the festival spirit with real ales and, if you want to have an authentic taste of the past, mead.

The Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2008 will take place on the site of the original Battle of Tewkesbury of 4 May 1471, when the Houses of York and Lancaster met in a bloody battle which left thousands of brave men, including Edward Prince of Wales, dead and put Edward IV firmly on the throne of England.

The festival runs from 11am to 6pm on the Saturday and Sunday, and is followed by a host of events in the historic town, including the trial and beheading of a number of captured Lancastrians.

The day’s events finish with a service of Compline in Tewkesbury Abbey, as would have been heard in the 15th century.

Event: Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2008
Venue: Tewkesbury Town Centre and Tewkesbury Abbey
Dates: Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July 2008
Times: From 11am to 6pm on both days
Tickets: Entrance to the festival is free

SoGlos.com
16 April 2008