A market town will return to the time of the peasants’ revolt for a weekend to commemorate a historic battle which was fought in the area.
From July 16 to 18, North Walsham will return to 1381, the year of the Battle of North Walsham, which was the last occurrence of any major resistance during the English Peasants’ Revolt.
The event was originally scheduled for this year, however it was moved to 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
Organisers hope the event, which will see two battle reenactments on North Walsham Memorial Park, will have similar success to Sheringham’s 1940s weekend with plans to make it a yearly occurrence with the whole town getting involved.
Ian Pycroft of Black Knight Historical, who are organising the reenactments, said: “We’re starting up again planning for next year after Covid cancelled everything, we’ll have free to enter activities on the park and there are plans for a posh banquet in the church. Obviously Paul Cubitt, who was vicar last year is gone so we need to speak to the new one.
“There will be a knights’ tournament on the Saturday, followed by a battle reenactment on the Sunday, there will be other things happening in the town as well, to open it we will have a parade from the market cross past the church and right up to the park led by a knight on a war horse.
“There’s still a lot to finalise, we’re hoping it’s going to be an annual event which we are hoping will be as big as the Sheringham railway thing, the 1940s weekend, with the potential to bring in lots of people and the potential to bring in historical actors from across the country.
“In the build up we’re going to be holding free costume workshops, we’ve already held three this year prior to lockdown, so we’re going to start doing those again.”
Other events will include archery, medieval traders and pony rides, with a chance to sample some of the food and drink of the time.
Visitors will also be able to talk to armored knights, the peasant army, monks, scribes, medics and entertainers, to get a taste of life in the 14th century.
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