“Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking” – Oliver Cromwell
Hot – that’s one word that perfectly sums up our weekend in Coleford in the heart of the Forest of Dean! In the blazing sun we commemorated the Battle of Coleford in which a group of 500 townspeople took on a Royalist troop of 2,000 marching through the Dean to attack the Parliamentarian stronghold of Gloucester. Eventually overwhelmed, the majority of the local militia simply vanished into the surrounding woodland, leaving their battered opponents to march on to Highnam. However, with their commander killed, the plan to attack the city never materialised.
It was wonderful to see so many people come out to visit the Sealed Knot’s event – whether meeting us in the centre of the town, where the battle actually took place, or coming up to the town’s Angus Buchanan VC Memorial Ground where we sweated our way through battle!
BBC Gloucestershire talked to the Sealed Knot in Coleford and you can listen to their coverage at this link at the 1hr, 45 and 2hr, 11 marks.
So, if you missed us, where are we performing next?
On 29th June we’ll be taking place in the annual commemorative march to the memorial marking the Battle of Marston Moor, one of the pivotal battles in the English Civil War and also one of the biggest battles ever fought on English soil. The march to the memorial on Tockwith Road leaves at 2.30pm and stops at the memorial for a short service, ending with a musket volley, before marching on to Long Marston.
Then on 19th and 20th July we’ll be joining dozens of other re-enactment groups for English Heritage’s Festival of History – one of the premier re-enactment events in the country. Attended by a wide range of groups from Romans to World War Two and beyond, this event is a sight to behold for the entire family! For more information visit the English Heritage website.
For all of our forthcoming events and details of our regular pub meets in Leeds and Oxford, check out our events map.
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