(by 8 people)
Historical Re-enactment is a very popular hobby and there are many groups around the country offering the experience of almost any period in history: Dark Ages, Roman, Tudor, Civil War to name the ones that I've taken part in.
People take part in it to a variety of levels. Some just do it for the fun of getting away at weekedns, having a few beers & a laugh with friends, others take it much more seriously, buying authentic copies of equipment and accutrements, hand stitching their clothes based on historical finds & methods and trying to live as "authentically" as possible.
Some even build & sail their boats or keep horse or other livestock from the period.
It can be fun, exhausting, intriguing and a challenge and often can help academic archaeology solve problems.
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Historical Re-enactment Links
Historical Re-enactment
Intersting, useful links offering a view to the re-enactment world and a vista onto the past
Most groups do living history displays & displays to the public. Some do small scale film work, others do large scale stuff. Its upto what the individual wants.
Word of warning: There are a lot of EGOS in the re-enactment world so take your time, do your research & chose your group wisely :-)
Most groups do living history displays & displays to the public. Some do small scale film work, others do large scale stuff. Its upto what the individual wants.
Word of warning: There are a lot of EGOS in the re-enactment world so take your time, do your research & chose your group wisely :-)
- Dark Ages Society
- Dark Ages Society website, listing society structure, officers, events & other useful links. What DAS do that most other societies don't is to create a "family" feel, developing characters and family units, etc, so providing plenty of scope for inter unit "in character" rivalry, at private weekend events, where fighting scenarios take place & finished off with a period style banquet.
They do undertake public displays and living history events.
Within the Re-enactment world many people know each other & often groups can over lap. - The Vikings
- The Opposition!! ;-)
A similar period society. - General Dark Age Re-enactment Link
- Site listing the main Players! No I'm not taking sides! Honest Gov!
- Regia Anglorum
- Another major player, with a huge membership & lots of living history experience.
Although they try to be very authentic and are very good at it, in my personal experience there were instances where authenticity rulings were made against documented historical evidence. - Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk
- A beautifully restored Tudor mansion in Long Melford, Suffolk, set in wonderful grounds, where you have a half mile walk down the drive just to get to the pub. NO pollution, no traffic, just peace & quiet.
As well as the public being able to visit the house as it is, they have open days where different periods in history are re-enacted.
I took part in 3 of the Summer re-enactments, making my own costumes by hand, setting up the Camera Obscura in the rounds & generally having a very relaxing time. I definitely recommend at least going to check the re-eneactments as a memebr of the public, to get an idea, but taking part is much more fun. You even get to learn a new language! Kentwellese! - Sealed Knot
- English Civil War Re-enactment Group. This is the group I saw doing the Battle of Brentford which first got me interrested in Re-enactment
- English Civil War Society
- The Opposition!! lol
I took part on a display done by the King's Army part of the Society & great fun it was. I got to pluck a large bird, have my ears deafened by canon fire & over heat cooking over open fires - Eventplan
- A company undertaking largescale re-enactments
- UK Re-enactment Webring
- Lots of lots of re-enatcment link: groups, suppliers & contacts etc
- Call to Arms
- Directory of Suppliers of Equipment to the Re-enatcment markets & periods. Also publihed as a brochure & sold at Re-enactment markets & Fayres
- My Viking Photos
- Some of my Viking photos. Please note, these photos are & remain my copyright & may not be used, downloaded or otherwise altered without my written permission.
- My Kentwell Photos
- Some of my Kentwell photos. Please note, these photos are & remain my copyright & may not be used, downloaded or otherwise altered without my written permission.
- My King's Army photos
- Some of my King's Army photos. Please note, these photos are & remain my copyright & may not be used, downloaded or otherwise altered without my written permission.
- Time Team in Orkney
- Time Team dig in Orkney with an ex DAS member & part owner of a historical supply & living history company, that provides historical day visits to schools, providing support of the Key Stage 2 elements of the National Curriculum
- Gotland Viking Reenactment
- Norwegian Viking Reenactment group. Often have acess to the latest archaeological finds & information out to groups who ask or are interested.
- Viking Ship museum
- Huses the most famous Viking burial, the Oseberg Ship, a burial of a high status lady & all her goods.
- Viking Answer Lady
- Ask her a question & hopefully she'll know the answer!
- The Alfred Jewel
- Housed at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the jewel is richly decorated in gold crystal and enamel and bears the inscription "Alfred ordered me to be made."
- Vikings meet Christianity
- Includes a link to the Famous Viking Grafitti in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople/Istanbul: "Halvdan was here" carved in Runes on the balustrade in the South Gallery!!!!!
- Danelaw Viking Village - National Curriculum Work
- The Danelaw Viking Village at Murton park provides School Children the opportunity the chance to live as a Viking for a Day. Based around the requirements of the National Curriculum.
Murton Park Museum of Farming also has a Brigantium Fort that covers the Roman period of the curriculum.
they also cover other periods - West Stow Anglo Saxon Village, Bury St Edmund
- A recontructed Anglo Saxon Village in a country park in Suffolk
- Medieval Links Online
- Published by Manchester Press. Vast range of links to all early periods. Very useful
- L'Ans aux Meadow photos
- Site showing photos of the reconstructed village in L'Ans aux Meadows, the site of the Viking Encampment in New Foundland. The Vikings "discovered" America way before Christopher Columbus.
- Longship Trading Company
- Es DAS members provide Living History days at schools to help them comply with the National Curriculum key stage 2 requirements - Raiders & Invaders.
They visit schools "in character", bringing the period to life for the school children - Time Tarts
- Ex DAS members provide replica period items for use in films and TV etc. Link shows picture of their encounter with Lucy Lawless! (Yes that Lucy Lawless of Xena Warrior Princess fame)
- Reenactors Market
- A regular event with suppliers from all periods to enable reenactors to get all their "goodies"
- A Medieval Farye
- I have no personal experience of this event so can't quarantee the quality or authenticity, but it looks quite interesting. something to do over the weekend of the 24 & 25th June
- Medieval Reenactment
- Again I have no personal experience of this particular group/event.
- Iothene Experimental Archaeology
- Fifthteenth century reenactment
- White Company
- Living History during the Wars of the Roses. They have worked with Time Team on several of their excavations
- The Viking Experience
- Another reenactor using their skills and knowledge to help educate school children and is soon opening an online store, which I presume will have replica goods for sale. I have no experience of this person so can't guarantee their quality etc. However they too have worked with Time Team on a couple of excavations & recast a replica from a find from a Time Team show.
- Feudal Archers
- This group cover the period 1135 to 1216 and have worked on 2 Time Team programmes. Again I have no personal knowledge of them so can't guarantee quality
- Wars of the Roses - Men of Warwick
- Another Wars of the Roses link. It covers different groups that reenact the period, different suppliers, magazines etc & seems very comprehensive.
- Joust
- Link to a jousting site, with a torunament in July at Berkely Castle in Glouscestershire. No personal knowledge
- Anmod Dracan
- A multiperiod reenatcment society. No personal knowledge
- Living History Forum
- A living history forum for reenators run by reenactors. No personal knowledge.
- Harlech Knights - Welsh Reentactment
- They aim to recreate life and combat as it may have been in 12th & 13th Century England and Wales and to give audiences a better understanding of the weapons, history and politics of the era. No personal knowledge.
- Medieval Siege Society
- War of the Roses and Hundred Years War reenatcment. No personal knowledge.
- Plantagenet Medieval Archery and Combat Society
- They aim to recreate the Medieval period, be it a battle, tournament or banquet. No personal knowledge.
- Wars of the Roses - List of Societies & Organisations
- This link seems to have a very comprehensive list of groups & societies. No personal knowledge.
- Buckingham's Revenue
- Another War of the Roses group. No personal knowledge.
- Brigantia
- A Iron Age Celtic reenactment group providing Living History displays. No personal knowledge.
- British Plate Armour Society
- A medieval reenatcment Society, covering a large period in history (1300-1485. No personal knowledge.
- Far Isles Medieval Society
- Originally part of the Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA). The SCA doesn't have a very good reputation in a lot of reenactment circles, as they often aren't that authentic, try to cover too many periods and are considered "jumblies" (people who don't have very authentic costume and are creating fantasy rather than reality) etc, so I have no idea how good this group is.
- Rosa Mundi Medieval Reenactment Society
- The society specialises in life in the last quarter of the fifteenth century. Very many different aspects of fifteenth century life, military and non-military, are re-enacted. They have done TV work. No personal knowledge.
- Time Team
- Official website for the Channel 4 TV programme. Many reenactment groups have provided either film work, expertise or replicas for this programme.
- Warwick castle
- This famous medieval castle often hosts period events. It has a varied programme this year including Birds of Prey event.
- Hampton Court
- One of the Historic Royal Palaces. this famus Tudor palace, often has costumed interpretors and has a working tudor kitchen.
- Napoleonic Association
- They cover the period from the French Revolution through to the battle of Waterloo.
- Axis Forces Renactment
- A WW2 Reenactment Group. I have no personal knowledge of this group.
- Victory in Europe
- A WW2 Reenactment Group. I have no personal knowledge of this group.
- World War 2 Living History Association
- A WW2 Reenactment Group. I have no personal knowledge of this group.
- Jorvik - York Archaeological Trust
- A museum with a difference. They've recreated a viking village using authentic and accurate reconstructions. Sometimes they also have live interpreters. York Archaeological Trust is also involved with a lot of restoration of archaelogical finds, excavations & educational projects.
- Jorvik Vking Festival
- Festival of Viking Life showing all aspects of life, battle training etc.
- Histreenact Home Page
- Another site providing listings of a lot of reenactment groups, suppliers & traders links, events, publications etc
New Make A List
Getting up Close & Personal!
Viking & Saxon line fight
At a DAS event last November. It was freezing cold, but very atmospheric. Lots of fighting practise and then skirmises in the nearby woods 
