Upcoming Events

You can find details of all events we currently plan to be attending below. We hope you can make it along to see us in action soon! Our current list of events during 2012 are:

Saturday 2^nd to Monday 4^th June 2012 - Living History at Skipton Castle, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Scenario

It is May 1460. Henry VI is King of England and Lord John Clifford is master of Skipton Castle. However, the country is in the grip of a civil war between the supporters of the King, known as Lancastrians because Henry VI is also Duke of Lancaster; and supporters of his rival, Richard, Duke of York, whose supporters are known as Yorkists. Lord John Clifford is a prominent Lancastrian.

In 1455, Lord Thomas Clifford had been murdered by the Yorkists in St. Albans where he had been attending the King. His son, the twenty year old John became Lord John Clifford and swore revenge on those who had killed his father – the Duke of York and Richard Neville, the Earl of Salisbury. He began to raise and train soldiers – including the legendary ‘Flower of Craven’ – and mounted a string of attacks on the property of the northern Yorkists – principally the Nevilles

The Battles of Blore Heath and Ludford Bridge were fought in the autumn of 1459. Following their defeat at Ludford Bridge the Yorkist leaders fled to Ireland and France, but it soon became clear that the Duke of York had not abandoned hope of seizing the English throne. By May 1460, the Yorkists, with French help, had succeeded in raising an army and were poised to mount an invasion of England.

We therefore find that Skipton Castle is busy with military preparations. When the Yorkists land, Lord John Clifford may find an opportunity for his revenge.

Visitors to Skipton Castle will see soldiers being mustered for France, preparations being made for defence against the Scots, speculation about the possible course of the war and the possibility of revolt. All this will happen against the backdrop of everyday life continuing: craftsmen at their work, cooks preparing food, people at work and leisure and soldiers practising with their weaponry.

Programme

25^th to 27^th August 2012 - Living History: Muncaster Castle

Scenario

It is August 1460 and England is in the midst of a civil war between the supporters of King Henry VI (known as Lancastrians because Henry is also Duke of Lancaster) and those of his rival the Duke of York. The previous year the Yorkists had fled the country after their defeat at Ludford Bridge, but in June 1460 they returned to England to defeat the King’s army at Northampton in July and to take the King prisoner. Queen Margaret, and the Duke of Somerset, the King’s Chief Minister then went to the North where their support was strongest and summoned a great army to join with them at Pontefract. They appointed Lord John Clifford, known as ‘The Butcher’ as one of their commanders. Lord John Clifford is Sheriff of Westmorland with castles at Appleby, Brough, Brougham and Pendragon; and is also Lord of Craven with a castle at Skipton. He has a strong personal reason to take up arms against the Yorkists - as they killed his father at St. Albans five years previously and he has sworn revenge. One of his allies is Sir John Pennington of Muncaster Castle.

We therefore find a group of soldiers camped temporarily at Muncaster on their way from their usual posting in Carlisle on the Scottish border to join with the Lancastrian army at Pontefract. They are travelling through West Cumberland because they have also been instructed to ‘array’ (enlist) any able bodied person who they find in the name of the King. These are dangerous times so some civilians have chosen to travel with them for protection.

Image of Muncaster Castle

Programme

You can download further details from here