Tewkesbury Medieval Festival

The Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is a medieval fair held over the second weekend of every July near the town of

The re-enactment at the first festival was a simple affair compared to later years: approximately 100 local enthusiasts, kitted out in crude imitations of medieval gear, fought each other on the fields of Tewkesbury.[2] They wore woollen mail or armour made of fibreglass. Their swords and pole arms were made from wood; arrows were rolled-up wallpaper.^[8] As the festival became more popular over the years, the scale and quality of the re-enactment changed. Re-enactors from other parts of the United Kingdom joined the event, as well as those from Poland, Germany and other European countries.^[9] The armour and weapons used in the later years were faithful steel reproductions that could cost thousands of pounds sterling (£).^[10] By 2002, the Battle of Tewkesbury was re-enacted by approximately 2,000 men and women, and the British Broadcasting Corporation called the next year's re-enactment the largest in Europe.^{[6][failed verification]} Aside from the battle, the storming of Tewkesbury Abbey is also re-enacted during the festival.^[5] The subsequent trial and execution of the prisoners are acted out in a mock fashion.^[11]

Medieval camp

Since 2002, the festival has been more than a small setup of stalls. It has grown to be a camp of up to 120 stalls,^[12] where life in medieval times is enacted by participants of the battle and their families.^[11] The beer tent is a regular fixture, and the stalls peddle herbs, sweets, and food. Entertainers, such as acrobats, fire-eaters, and jugglers, wander the area, performing their arts. Musicians and dancers also entertain visitors. Re-enactors demonstrate pottery, yarn spinning, and other medieval craft.^[6][13] Many enthusiasts come from foreign countries, such as Belarus and Hungary.^[9] The German Mittelalter rock band Schelmish has performed several times at the festival.^[14] Short bouts of simulated duels are performed in the camp and a jousting tournament was also featured.^[11][15] The festival has attracted visitors from as far as New Zealand and the west coast of the United States;^[9] the local tabloid quoted an estimate of 25,000 visitors to the festival in 2003.^[4]

Town of Tewkesbury

Although the town council of Tewkesbury plays no part in organising the festival, it has supported the event by giving it grants (the amount for 2005 and 2008 was £1,000 each).^[16][17] Most of the money for organising the festival is recouped from "tithes paid by the [stall holders]", which at times proved insufficient to cover the expenses; the event was operating in the red for 2002–2004.^[4] Under encouragement from the Companions of the Black Bear and the Chamber of Commerce, the town's traders support the event by decorating their shops and dressing up in medieval-period costumes.^[18] The pubs and restaurants serve medieval-style fare as well. A free bus service connects the town and the festival.^[12]

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  Entertainers at the festival
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  Facets of medieval life
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  Jousting
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  Re-enactment of the missile exchange

See also

• Castlefest

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tewkesbury Medieval Festival.

• Tewkesbury Medieval Festival homepage
• 4K UHD VIDEO: Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
• Tewkesbury Medieval Town Showcase
• Tewkesbury's Millennia of Mummers' Heritage kept alive - United Kingdom