400 students time travel thanks to Tewkesbury Medieval Festival Schools Day
Four hundred students aged 10 and 11 from 10 local schools, as well as home educated students across the area, were given the opportunity to go back in time and experience activities and a great battle, thanks to Tewkesbury Medieval Festival’s Schools Day.
The Festival, first held in 1983, is widely regarded as the largest free medieval gathering in Europe.
This year, the Festival’s dedicated Schools Day was co-sponsored by Bloor Homes and Tewkesbury Borough Council, via its Covid Recovery Fund.
Each year, Schools Day brings learning about the medieval period to life, with hundreds of students taking part in a range of activities including archery, squire training, medieval music and dance, jester school, and a visit to the living history camp.
For the finale the students take part in their own re-enactment of the battle of Tewkesbury with renowned historian, Professor Ronald Hutton advising and commentating.
Bloor Homes, whose regional head office in Tewkesbury, was very pleased to co-sponsor the day. Steve Roberts, Managing Director for the Western region, said: “We are big supporters of youth development through schools and sports events across the whole of our region, but the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival Schools Day is quite unique. Being able to benefit so many students at once and give them a truly memorable day of fun and learning is a privilege and a huge thank you must go to the organisers who make the Schools Day possible by working with companies such as ours.”
Tewkesbury Medieval Festival has been taking place since 1983 with free entry to all and attracts re-enactors, traders, entertainers and visitors from all over the world. The Festival runs across three days, with the dedicated Schools Day taking place on the first day.
The central feature is a spectacular re-enactment of the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, which takes place on part of the site of the original battle. It was one of the most decisive battles during the War of the Roses, which saw King Edward IV and the House of York completely defeat the forces of the House of Lancaster.
Steve adds: “We are really proud to sponsor such a fun and memorable event for the students and support such an important event in the calendar for the town.”
Geraldine Liddy, Festival Director for Tewkesbury Festival, said: “Every year we look forward to Schools Day and seeing how much the students get from it. Thank you to Bloor Homes and Tewkesbury Borough Council for their support for this important event in our festival programme, which not only teaches students about the medieval period but also teaches them about their local history. We are very grateful to Bloor Homes and Tewkesbury Borough Council for their sponsorship of the Schools Day.”
For more information about Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, visit tewkesburymedievalfestival.co.uk
To find out more about Bloor Homes in the area, visit bloorhomes.com