The Sealed Knot descends on Wales – battling and partying at Margam Country Park – The Earl of Manchester's Regiment of Foote

What a weekend! it was the August Bank Holiday, so that can mean only one thing – the entire Sealed Knot gathering to reenactment and socialise together!

We’ve just returned from an amazing time at Margam Country Park near Port Talbot in south Wales, where we took part in huge battles, enjoyed fantastic parties, and even watched as a Viking longboat pulled up outside the beer tent!

The August Bank Holiday is always the last big event of the year – and with both the sea and Port Talbot’s steelworks on the horizon, it was a chance to put on an amazing show while catching up with friends and enjoying the sights against the backdrop of the Tudor-Gothic country house and rolling hills.

This fantastic little video by Ben Gillott gives you just a small flavour of being in the thick of the action:

But before battle the Saturday night was the time to party – and we marked the release of the Barbie and Oppenheimer movies with our own Barbenheimer party! Our campsite was flooded with glittering Kens and Barbies (and a couple of Oppenheimers) who gathered for games and laughs, including some novel uses for ladies’ tights!

But of course, we all travelled to Margam Park for one reason – bringing history to life!

A perfectly presented battlefield gave the audience a prime viewing spot to watch us clash with the Royalists, as the New Model Army began its march through south Wales. From facing off against cannon and cavalry, to crunching encounters between huge blocks of pikemen, it was tiring – but thrilling – work and the bruises and tiredness are just proof positive of a great event! It was quite the march to the battlefield from our campsite, so luckily there were plenty of drummers to keep us going as we made our way back and forth, and watercarriers to keep us refreshed.

A huge thank you to our hosts Sir William Waller’s Brigade, to all the public who turned for a fantastic weekend, and of course to our friends in the regiment and the Sealed Knot – we had a brilliant time!

For some of our members, it was a great way to round off their reenactment season. For the rest of us, however, we’re off to Crowland Abbey in September!

Has this whetted your appetite? Fancy giving it a go? It couldn’t be easier – for as little as £10 you could be marching out with us in 2024 with a taster weekend! Visit our website now, drop us a line, and you could be marching onto a battlefield!

Videos by Margam Country Park