Staffordshire town to host Saxon Weekender

The Castle Grounds will be transported back in time this Saturday and Sunday to give the public a glimpse into this significant part of the town’s history.

Hosted by the Tamworth Arts and Events team, the free Saxon Weekender event will show visitors what life was like in Anglo Saxon times.

This includes the life of a fighter, with exciting activities on the lower lawn such as skirmishes, a small-scale battle between Saxon and Viking re-enactors, and a main battle.

There will also be training circles which will be a run-through of fight tactics, a weapons display showing off the different types of weaponry, and kids will get to experience a Kiddie Vike – where children from the audience will be encouraged to engage with the re-enactors and more.

Cllr Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said: “We’ve been anticipating this event for months now and I’m excited that it’s just around the corner as it’s an opportunity to showcase the rich history our town has.

“Some people won’t be aware of the imprint the Saxons left on our town and the traditions that we still carry to this day from those times, so this is not only a great educational event to show people how we used to live many centuries ago but it’s a fun one too with so many different fun activities that people can get involved in.

“The best part about it is that it’s free to attend. And combined with the new adventure playground and all the other fun activities in the Castle Grounds, it really is a fantastic place for the whole family.”

Not only will visitors get to experience the ‘war’ aspect of the medieval period but how ordinary members of the public lived their lives and how they occupied their time, too.

This will be showcased through various workshops – from embroidery, coin making and demonstrations of Saxon burial rites all the way to playing Saxon and Viking games, cooking, wattle & daub construction, a pottery making workshop and a purse making workshop for the children.

The full timetable for both days is: 10am – Show starts and Living History open, 11am – Skirmish, 11.30am – Training Circles, 12pm – Kiddie Vike, 1.30pm – Weapons Display, 2pm – Njal’s Saga, 2.30pm – Kiddie Vike, 3.45pm – Main battle, 5pm – End of show times and close of Living History

The event will run from 10am on Saturday while the Sunday event will start from 9.30am.