Post by Frere Reynald de Pensax on May 20, 2012 12:21:46 GMT -5
Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre hosted a living history event this weekend that departed from the normal Wars of the Roses re-enactment. Although it is more famous as the site of the battle that saw the death in 1485 of the controversial Yorkist king, Richard III, on this occasion Bosworth's resident re-enactment group, Les Routiers de Rouen, turned the clock further back to the era of the Crusades for an event entitled 'Meet the Templars'. And my own group, the Company of the Black Bird, was invited to attend as Les Routiers' guests.
On display was a Templar encampment as it would have appeared in the Holy Land, complete with Grand Master's tent and chapel. There was no fixed dateline as the aim was to present the story of the Order, but the armour and weaponry on display was that of the thirteenth century, when the Templars were at the height of their power; and the quality of the equipment was high. As well as several fully armoured Knight-Brothers present, we had Templars in their cloistered robes, a Sergeant -Brother and a Hospitaller. Also on display were re-creations of the numerous relics that the Order would have possessed.
The atmosphere of the whole event was very relaxed. We didn't have a set timetable. Instead, we milled ouround our encampment and the visitor centre complex so that members of the public could approach us and ask questions. And this tactic worked very well as we all had different areas of expertise.
The weather began as unpromising, but the rain held off throughout the event, and visitor numbers were good; but what was really encouraging was the reaction from the public who were pleasantly surprised and refreshed to discover that the Battlefield Centre was playing host to something other than a Wars of the Roses event. And, although it is off the beaten track in rural Leicestershire, visitors from Austria, Spain and Japan found their way there this weekend.
On display was a Templar encampment as it would have appeared in the Holy Land, complete with Grand Master's tent and chapel. There was no fixed dateline as the aim was to present the story of the Order, but the armour and weaponry on display was that of the thirteenth century, when the Templars were at the height of their power; and the quality of the equipment was high. As well as several fully armoured Knight-Brothers present, we had Templars in their cloistered robes, a Sergeant -Brother and a Hospitaller. Also on display were re-creations of the numerous relics that the Order would have possessed.
The atmosphere of the whole event was very relaxed. We didn't have a set timetable. Instead, we milled ouround our encampment and the visitor centre complex so that members of the public could approach us and ask questions. And this tactic worked very well as we all had different areas of expertise.
The weather began as unpromising, but the rain held off throughout the event, and visitor numbers were good; but what was really encouraging was the reaction from the public who were pleasantly surprised and refreshed to discover that the Battlefield Centre was playing host to something other than a Wars of the Roses event. And, although it is off the beaten track in rural Leicestershire, visitors from Austria, Spain and Japan found their way there this weekend.