With Scottish voters preparing to go to the polls this week to decide on their nation’s fate, much has been made since the referendum was announced of the history of the Act of Union in 1707, which officially brought the two countries together. But many of the histories miss out a time, years before 1707, when England and Scotland…
Just like in the English Civil War, there are two main types of infantry soldier in the Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote: pikemen and musketeers. Being a pikeman is one of the more strenuous roles you can do in the Sealed Knot, combining structured drill movements and coordination with the qualities of a…
Marching into battle at Naseby in the Northamptonshire countryside in 1645, a musketeer in the New Model Army of Parliament would have carried everything he needed with him, from his musket to eating implements – something a photographic survey of military kits by photographer Thom Atkinson has brought to life. Re-enactment groups, collectors, historians and serving soldiers helped Atkinson…
This is a matchlock musket. Doesn’t look like much? Well, technically it’s not – it’s essentially a tube with a small hole at one end and a big hole at the other. But this simple piece of steel and wood changed the face of warfare forever. The musket is quite a basic weapon, but the…
Battling the elements AND the Royalists – Sherborne Castle was an incredible Bank Holiday weekend! August Bank Holiday musters are always very special occasions for the Sealed Knot and four our regiment – since the entire society turns out they’re often the last event of the year where we’ll see all our friends from other regiments, and are…
Live in or are visiting the south west this Bank Holiday Weekend? Well, today and tomorrow the entire Sealed Knot is laying siege to Sherborne Castle in Dorset! We’re there right now, recreating the civil war history of the castle and taking visitors back to the 17th Century when the Digbys and the old castle stood for…
This Bank Holiday weekend, step back in time and watch a huge battle at Sherborne Castle in Dorset This Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday 23rd August to Bank Holiday Monday 25th August, we’ll be at Sherborne Castle in Dorset – a spectacular location for the biggest English Civil War re-enactment you’ll see anywhere in the country this summer. This two-day event will…
Photo: Yorkshire Evening Post Every last Thursday of the month, our members get together for their regular drink and natter, and we’d love you to join us! If you’re thinking of having a go at re-enactment, there’s no better than way than having a natter with our members over a drink – they’ll be happy to…
The August Bank Holiday weekend is always a special for the Sealed Knot – it’s when the entire society comes from all over the country, and abroad, to one place and puts on the biggest historical re-enactment battles you’ll see in the UK. This year, on Saturday 23rd August to Bank Holiday Monday 25th August,…
We’re still coming down from the highs of restaging The Siege of Chester at the weekend. Weren’t able to make it? Then we’ve dug out some great videos we found online of the event on 9th and 10th August, beneath the walls of this ancient city. Enjoy! And don’t forget – YOU could be a part…