Don't miss this spectacular living history event at Broadlands, the home of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma, at Romsey, Hampshire! Many thousands of visitors are expected to enjoy exploring several different performance and living history areas, with huge amounts to see and do! For a flavour of things to come, click for photos of our 2011 show by Red Zebra Photo.   

Around 700 participants from Britain's best historical groups will present a continuous programme of exciting displays plus ongoing living history including arms, armour, weaponry, warriors and soldiers through the ages;  multi-era living history encampments; battles, skirmishes and shoot outs; equestrian skills; military vehicles and much more. Non-military displays include everyday life through the ages, cooking, fashion and juggling.

Visiting children can enter our "best historical costume competition" with the chance to win the prize of being "King" or "Queen" at the jousting later in the afternoon. Children can also enjoy puppet shows, have a go archery and catapult games (a small fee applies), trying on Pikeman's armour in the civil war era camp, Roman themed workshops from Robin Price, author of Spartapuss, having a go at Napoleonic soldiers' musket drill and much more!

There's a fascinating market place too, with all sorts of crafts, reproduction historical items and other things on show and sale including glassware, pottery, clothing & costume, hats, games, books, arms and armour, fine art, shoes, beads, cloth, muskets & small arms, knitwear, leather, accessories and much, much more! Plus food, refreshments and beers in the catering area. Click the link for frequently asked questions.

The Performers

The impressive line up of performers includes:


Classical Greek  - The Hoplite Association  (C5th BC warriors, battle tactics and encampment).

Romans and Britons - The Vicus  (Gladiatorial combat, soldiers, Britons and encampments).

Dark ages - Weorod (C7th Germanic warriors, battle tactics and encampment).

Early Medieval - Regia Anglorum - Warriors, encampment and combat.

Medieval  - The Erpyngham Retinue, (encampments, and knights), Hellequin (mounted knights and equestrian skills-at-arms), The Bowden Retinue and the Medieval free Company, Plus medieval puppet shows with the Dragons of Wye-Tel Puppet Theatre.

Tudor -  Fahnlein Uri (encampment and displays) and Dorchester Historical Dancers (Sunday only).

C17th - The English Civil War Society (musketeers, pikemen, artillery and encampments), History Re-enactment Workshop (Restoration era) and Stuart Regalia (fashion).

C18th - The Association of Crown Forces 1776 (American War of Independence redcoats and encampment) Cobhams Dragoons and New France & Old England (French and Indian wars 1755-63, battles and encampments).

Regency/Napoleonic - The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1815, The 2nd (Queens Royal) Regiment of Foot, 2nd Battalion 95th Rifles, 3eme Regiment de Artillerie, 62eme Regiment d'infanterie de Ligne and 12th Light Dragoons (British and French soldiers).

American Civil War - The American Eagle Society (Confederate army camp and "bushwackers"), The Southern Skirmish Association (battles, parades and encampments), Tony Mugridge (forge) and Sic Semper Tyrannis (music and song).

American West -  The Wyoming Wild Bunch (Cowboys, native Americans, shoot outs and encampments).

Victorian - The 1879 Group (Zulu War 24th Foot redcoats), The Die Hard Company (British Soldiers 1853-1900),
Grymm Tooms Travelling Museum (Victorian exhibits) and Skinners Horse (Indian Raj era equestrian displays).

Edwardian -  The Antarctic Adventurers  (Polar explorers).

World War One - The Rifles  (British soldiers, encampment & weaponry), Guarderobe (casualty dressing station) and The 1914-21 Society (Eastern Front soldiers),

World War Two - World War Two Living History Association, (Allies and Germans in Normandy 1944, encampments, field fortifications, vehicles and combat), 2nd Tales (British field hospital), 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment (The Gloucester Regiment) Living History Group (British reconnaissance troops), Das Heer (German Wehrmacht 1940), GD Recon (German Wehrmacht 1944), Panzer-Fusiler Regiment Grossdeutschland Living History Group (Eastern Front Wehrmacht), Propagandakompanie 691 (German photography unit), Many Fronts Living history Group and Volkssturm V3 (German Home Guard).


Vietnam era - Rolling Thunder

1990s-modern era - Past Regiments, SFSG Modern Warfare Re-enactment (vehicles, equipment and camps)

Pre-1985 classic and military vehicles and owners are warmly welcome to set up a static display at this event, so long as you agree to abide by our conditions of participation for classic and military vehicles.

Re-enactment groups and other performers: If you are interested in taking part in a future Blasts from the Past or our other events, please contact us for further details and click the link for our Standard terms and conditions for participation.


Timetable of displays and activities   

Please revisit for details once the timetable has been confirmed. With  around 50 timed displays and activities per day and several happening simultaneously in different areas, that we recommend that visitors consider coming on both days to enjoy it all!

                                               
The historical market

In addition to enjoying the huge array of living history and arena based displays, you can browse through the wares offered by first class historical traders, within their tented historical market. Fascinating, absorbing and full of superb reproduction and other items you won't readily find in the shops, including pottery, leather goods, ironware, glassware, muskets, swords, bows and arrows, furs, jewellery, cloth, buttons, hats, uniforms, plus gifts, rocks and crystals, children's toys, games and dressing up sets, books and DVDs.

Our on-line traders' booking form is available on line, click for details of trading opportunities  

Trading opportunities

As usual Blasts from the Past welcomes high quality historical and related traders.

Click for details of trading opportunities at this and other events

Admission prices

Fantastic value for a fantastic show - Adult £10, Child £5, Family £25. Watch this space for news of a 2-day ticket, by popular demand

Important Health and Safety information – please note

• In the unlikely event of an emergency, please stay calm and follow instructions given over public address systems and by stewards.
• Historical displays can be dangerous. They can feature real weaponry and explosions! Do not cross tape barriers at any time unless invited to as part of a  “have a go” activity!
• Battles and skirmishes can be noisy so you may wish to move small children and pets away from arenas during these displays. Keep dogs on a lead at all times.
• Stand well clear of the horses, which although friendly can kick and bite!
• All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• Take care not to trip, slip or fall on site. Beware of uneven ground and tent guy lines.
• Keep clear of camp fires. These are real and often cooking hot food. Don’t touch!
• Do not - and do not let your children - pick anything up in the living history areas unless specifically invited to do so by the re-enactors. The weapons and cooking knives are real and can be dangerous in untrained hands!
• Do not discard burning cigarettes if the ground is dry.
• Litter can kill the animals that live and graze here – please take all your litter home.
• Please beware of moving vehicles, in the car park and within C20th living history areas.

How to get there



You don't have to arrive in a World War Two half track of course, there's normal 21st Century parking for visitors too (inclusive of event ticket price)! Don't forget that there's free entry for a limited number of pre-registered, pre-1985 military or classic non-military vehicles with driver, passenger and up to 2 children under 16 (see above)

Broadlands is on the A3090 Romsey by-pass, ½ mile from Romsey town centre. The M27 motorway runs 3 miles from Broadlands providing excellent motorway and trunk road links in all directions - Central London is only 2 hours from Broadlands via the M3 and M27 motorways. Drivers should leave the M27 motorway at Junction 3 if approaching from the North and East, or Junction 2 if approaching from the West, and follow the signs to Broadlands. Click here for a printable map and directions
Click here for directions at Bing Maps

A brief history of re-enactment

Interested in how and why re-enactment has become so popular in recent years? Click on the link to read a history of re-enactment.

Other events 2012

Click here for details of many other historical events organised by EventPlan during 2012.


 Updated 25 April 2012