Our reenactment season for 2025 has now come to a close – and what a year it’s been! Members of The Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote have been up and down the country to bring the past to life at some amazing locations, from stately homes to housing estates. So we thought we would ask our members what their highlights of their year were.
But first we have to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to watch us this year, our friends in the Sealed Knot who supported our events, those who hosted some spectacular weekends that we were honoured to be a part of, and the photographers who make us look so good! Last, but not least, thank you to our members, without whom Manchester’s would simply not exist and who put in a Herculean effort to ensure we’re able to run around in wool, firing guns, and sitting around campfires.
And what a year it’s been – one filled with friends, fun, laughter, and hard work. We started the year at Nantwich in Cheshire where we celebrated winning the Rosebowl competition for ‘best regiment’ for the third year in a row, then we had events at Charlton Park in Wiltshire, Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire, Lily Day at Golcar in West Yorkshire, Oxford Castle, Culcheth in Cheshire, and August Bank Holiday at Worcester, before rounding off the season with our new event Newent in Gloucestershire.
But let’s hear what our members have to say about some of their favourite moments…
Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire played host to the Sealed Knot’s late May Bank Holiday weekend major muster, with hundreds of members reenacting the Battle of Naseby from 1645 before some great socialising in the evenings.
For several of our gang, this was either their first major event or their first major, period! For James and his family it was the former – this was the first time they got to take part in one of the biggest reenactment battles of the year – and he says that “despite a tent failure on the first night we enjoyed it all the more as a result of that and also the cracking vibe around the whole place! Battle was amazing to be part of on both days too.” It was “top tier all round”, according to Erin and her partner Elliott, for whom this was also their first major event.
For Selina and her partner Tom, this was their very first time coming to a Sealed Knot event and the bug has clearly bitten them: “Lamport Hall was our first event and we were welcomed quite literally with open arms,” she says. “Having such a welcome really made us feel immediately part of the family. So happy to have found a group of people just as crazy as us. Being crowned both a window and door person was also an honour.” If you don’t understand that last sentence, the video below may give you an idea of what she means!
This was a special event for Amanda who – along with her family – has become a key part of the regiment since joining up in 2023 – this was the first time she served on a cannon crew and has loved every second of it since.
For long-term member Leigh, Lamport was a “banger” while Emma praised the “top tier socialising AND actually getting to do something a bit different on the field at a major”. Ian also loved what turned into one of the best nights in the beer tent in years: “Lamport Hall was loads of fun and possible one of the best beer tent nights in a long while, complimented even further with a great band.”
@english.civil.war “Are you having fun?” “Yeah!” Don’t believe our new recruits? Then check out what we got up to during our EPIC weekend at the Battle of Naseby – fighting, laughing, dancing, singing, making new friends and having the BEST time! Seriously, this one is going down in the history books as a classic… Want to be part of the action and give it a go? It’s just £10, with your kit provided! By joining our regiment you could: 💥 Fire a cannon! ⚔️ Fire a musket and go into hand-to-hand! 🥁 Be a drummer and lead the regiment! 𓐬 Or block in with our pikeman to take on the enemy! If that’s not your thing then join our living history, where you can learn traditional skills 🔨🪡🍳 Visit our website or email earlofmanchesterspr@gmail.com and discover a brand new hobby you’ll love! #FunNights #Outdoorsy #CampingLife #Outdoors #Camping #Memories #MakingMemories #Friends #Family #Fun #SealedKnot #EarlOfManchestersRegimentOfFoote #Reenactment #HistoricalReenactment #LARP #LARPing #HistoryBuff #HistoryTime #HistoryTok #History #Pike #PikePushing #FYP #ForYouPage cc. @The Sealed Knot
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- Photo by John Beardsworth
In July, we returned to Culcheth in Cheshire for another scorcher. This was an event organised by Manchester’s after our successful event there in 2024. Temperatures skyrocketed as the country basked in summer heat, which didn’t help with the very persistent wasps that seemed to descend on our living history camp! Despite this, we had an amazing time.
Erin celebrated a “fantastic birthday” alongside fellow member Veronica on the Culcheth weekend, with the insects keeping away long enough for everyone to enjoy a slice of birthdaty cake!
“For me, Culcheth is what Manchester’s is all about,” says Mike. “Even when it was sweltering everyone did their utmost, from those taking part in the skirmish to those cooking our delicious lunches and, most importantly, those vital members who went from tent to tent distributing much needed hydration! And once it cooled down, everyone gathered together with our friends from other regiments to chill down and have fun – perfect!”
@english.civil.war Come on a tour of our living history camp! The Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote returned to Culcheth in Cheshire for a blazing hot weekend of history. Our members set up our tented encampment on Mill Field opposite The Raven Inn on Warrington Road, bringing the sights, sounds and – considering the temperature reached over 30° – smells of the 17th Century: cooks labouring over fires to feed the troops, apothecaries and surgeons offering differing cures for common ailments, a blacksmith repairing armour on his anvil, woodworkers and scriveners, tailors offering the latest fashions, spies decoding secrets, printers peddling broadside ballads, and even a seller of a rather strong new drink from the New World called … ‘coffee’? #history #historicalreenactment #historytok #EduTok #explore #foryou #tour #lovehistory #adventure #LoveHistory #HistoryLover #HistoryBuff #HistoryTime #HistoryFacts #LivingHistory #Camp #Camping #Outdoors #Outdoor #OutdoorLife #Tents
@english.civil.war Don’t miss the moments that make it all worthwhile – the quiet moments, the simple ones, the ecstatic ones, the learning ones, the ones you share with the people who make it happen. Weekends, especially really, really hot ones, can be hard work but we are so extraordinarily blessed with the people who get to share these moments with, both within our regiment and our friends in other regiments like the @Royalist Baggage Trayne. What a wonderful weekend, spent with the people who matter. #friends #friendship #FriendsForever #SpendingTimeTogether #fun #TheWeekend #GoodTimes #GreatTimes #EarlOfManchestersRegimentOfFoote #SealedKnot #MattBerry #TakeMyHand #FYP #ForYouPage #Engage #Connect #CapCut
One of the new venues we performed at was Oxford Castle, in the heart of the historic university town. This was another hot one, with temperature topping 30°, but the cool inside the historic St George’s Tower was very welcome for members portraying Parliamentarian prisoners! In the courtyard of the Victorian prison, next to the bailey mound of the medieval castle, members put their skills to good use with displays of leatherworking, food preparation, and medicine from an apothecary to a barber surgeon.
One of the great things about reenacting with Manchester’s is that there’s no expectation or pressure to attend all our events – some of our members aren’t able to make it along very often but it’s always great to see them when they do. For long-standing musketeer, Oxford was the only event he was able to make but he still enjoyed himself! As co-organiser of the event, Mike enjoyed welcoming the regiment to his home town: “it’s unusual to get to do events in places like Oxford, where there’s often not the room, but it was amazing to hear the noise of muskets echoing around the castle grounds for what may have been the first time in centuries!”
@english.civil.war We’re taking over @OxfordCastle&Prison this weekend! Watch muskets firing, discover traditional cures and leather working in the courtyard, visit the unfortunate prisoners in the tower, or learn how to be a spy! Open from 10am to 5pm, step back in time to the 1646 Siege of Oxford! #oxford #oxfordcastle #oxfordshire #history #historytime #historical #reenactment #historicalreenactment #lovehistory #historytok cc. @The Sealed Knot
But the regiment’s favourite event of the year was at Newent in September. This was a new event for us – Newent Celebrates! is the new festival celebrating both the past and present of this vibrant historic town in the heart of Gloucestershire . We were over the moon to be invited to occupy the town and bring its English Civil War history to life. The big hit of the weekend was the first day, with our troops occupying the town (and the pub) before sailing to victory in the traditional onion-eating contest!
@english.civil.war Battle is joined! Who will win in the @Newent Celebrates! onion eating competition – Royalist or Parliamentarian?? #Newent #Gloucester #Gloucestershire #Reenactment #Onions
“Newent was great to be in the town and feel part of the event, said Ian, “the 8-hour pub beer garden session was fun too.” Our suregon Mike agreed: “I loved Newent, the town was so welcoming.” It was very special to be able to perform in the heart of a community like this, the crowds even turning out on the second day in pouring rain as we defended their town!
“There was so much going on and people actually watched us in that hideous rain,” says Emma. “I enjoyed it so much I almost forget the battle was during a monsoon,” says Leigh. “The Saturday was great, getting involved with everything and my new obsession with historic dice games was born as well.”
And for Martin, not only did he enjoy portraying his ‘sleeping soldier’ in the street, but he also got to put a Royalist in a headlock…
@english.civil.war WHAT A WEEKEND! @Newent Celebrates! was everything we hoped for and more – such warm and generous support from the community as we occupied the town and brought history to life with a march through the streets, dramatic cameos, an encampment brimming with fascinating stories. and finally an assault on the barricades in the driving rain! From the pubs to the battlefield, we were welcomed with open arms! A hearty “huzzah!” to the organisers, and thanks to our friends in Newcastle’s Foote, The Royalist Baggage Trayne, Sir George Lisle’s Regiment, Lord Thomas Grey’s Regiment of Foote, Sir Thomas Glemham’s Regiment of Foote, Colonel John Hutchinson’s Regiment of Foote, the Scot’s Brigade and others for their full-throated and much-appreciated support, as well as all the townsfolk who threw themselves into donning costumes and taking part! We’ll post more about the crowning glory of our 2025 season soon, but in the meantime enjoy these little insights into what we got up to! All activities shown are undertaken safely by trained historical reenactors under close and careful supervision. #Reenactor #HistoricalReenactment #History #HistoryTok #Reenactment @The Sealed Knot
But the last word must go to our member Helen who, when thinking about the last year, pretty much sums it up: “I can’t choose they were all fantastic!”
So here’s to a wonderful year with the Earl of Manchester’s and wishing all our members, friends, and audiences a joyous and restful New Year – we hope you can join us on a battlefield next year!
We have a packed schedule of events planned for 2026 so why not join us and experience this for yourself? You could be taking part for as little as £10, with your historical kit provided! This hobby has something for everyone and by joining our regiment you could:
Fire a cannon!
Fire a musket and go into hand-to-hand!
Be a drummer and lead the regiment!
𓐬 Or block in with our pikeman to take on the enemy!
If that’s not your thing then join our living history, where you can learn traditional skills 
Visit our join up page or email earlofmanchesterspr@gmail.com and discover a brand new hobby you’ll love!