Harewood Medieval Faire
The North’s most spectacular Medieval festival
Harewood House,
Harewood, Leeds LS17 9LG
Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July 2012
11am to 5pm
A fantastic new annual festival featuring hundreds of top performers! Pageantry, jousting by knights in shining armour,
battles and combat, arms and armour, archery, cannons, damsels, music, song and dance, comedy,
puppet shows, colourful living history encampments, medieval market and archaeological dig.
Come and enjoy this amazing event staged by EventPlan on behalf of award winning Harewood House, one of the top Treasure Houses of England. From the Norman invasion of 1066 to the end of the end of the Roses in 1487, experience the drama, colour and excitement of the medieval world.
There's a fantastic, continuous programme of over 30 timed battles, displays & entertainments
each day (please revisit for a full timetable once confirmed). In fact that there's
so much to see and do that we recommend that visitors plan for a two day visit as
you can't possibly see it all in just one day! And as well as the timed displays
and activities, there's a huge variety of other things to enjoy throughout your visit
too -
• Walk through time by exploring the C11th to C15th living history encampments.
• Meet Saxons staging their last stand against William the Conqueror but beware of their ruthless Norman enemies!
• Encounter C12th military monks just as skilled in healing as in fighting (and famous for eating large amounts of rather delicious and highly calorific food to keep them at peak efficiency!).
• Decide whether you would have fought for the Yorkists or Lancastrians in the bloody Wars of the Roses.
• As you meet knights through the ages spot the differences between the “chain maile” worn early on, the gradual change to plate armour and the sophisticated battle armour of the C15th.
• Find out how people lived, what they ate and what they believed in.
• Try on pieces of armour.
• Enjoy the music & song.
• Have a go at medieval dancing.
• Fall over laughing at the wacky comedy.
• Explore the fascinating medieval market.
• Take a tour to Harewood's C12th All Saints Church (which will also host a recreated medieval wedding each day).
• Visit the archaeological dig of the site of the original medieval manor, Gawthorpe Hall, which was demolished as part of a new Capability Brown landscape after the mansion we see today was finished in the C18th.
Children’s activities
As well as all the above, children can also enjoy squire training, have a go “jousting”, puppet shows, storytelling, and have a go archery (a small charge applies to the latter),
Performers and participants
The impressive cast includes the following top groups and performers;
C11th Saxons: Hetaireia Palatiou (Palace Company) and Regia Anglorum.
C11th to C12th Normans: Crusade, The Household and Re-
Late C12th: Knights Hospitaller Association.
C12/13th: Knights Hospitaller of the North.
C13th: Dawn of Chivalry.
C14th: Swords of Mercia.
Early C15th/Battle of Agincourt era: Erpyngham Retinue.
C15th jousting: Destrier Pro.
C15th Wars of the Roses: Black Maunch, Bowden Retinue, King Edward’s Living History Group (including Trebuchet siege engine), Laxton Archers, Livery and Maintenance, Rosa Mundi and Wars of the Roses Federation.
Plus
Music and song: Hautbois.
Puppet shows: Dragons of Wye-
Comedy: Medieval Maniax
Story telling: Tanya Bentham
Other high quality re-
Timetable
Please revisit shortly for the confirmed programme of entertainments, a fantastic mixture of displays and activities to enjoy. The magnificent house, bird garden, other attractions and facilities will also be open as usual.
The Medieval market
Browse through a huge and fascinating variety of wares on offer within the tented market, and buy some very unusual items and gifts that you can’t get in the shops! Armour, bows and arrows, other weaponry, pottery, glassware, furniture, wooden items, clothing, crafts, leather items, toys & games, musical instruments – most practical needs of medieval life will be here!
Trading opportunities
For details of trading at this and other EventPlan events please see our “Traders” drop down menu above. Please note: For presentation reasons, we only permit period style trading tents and marquees at this event.
Refreshments and food
In addition to a beer and refreshment tent, there will be plenty of different hot and cold food & drinks on offer in the banqueting area. Harewood House’s café/restaurant will also be open as usual.
Admission prices
Please click here for admission prices and booking details.
Visitor glamping and camping
Visitors can book “glamping” and camping within Harewood’s attractive grounds for this event. As well as the daytime show, enjoy the Saturday evening musical entertainment in the beer tent and banqueting area, and experience the lively atmosphere as the performers relax and party! For more details please contact Harewood House direct: 0113 218 1010.
How to get there
Harewood House is 8 miles NE of Leeds, at the junction of the A61 Leeds to Harrogate road with the B656 Wetherby to Otley road. From A1(M) Junction 45 take the A659 west towards Otley. On arrival at Harewood the main entrance is directly opposite the junction with the A61.
Click here for directions at Bing Maps.
The Medieval Faire is set in grassland within the picturesque landscape overlooked by the rear of the house and adjacent to the lake*. Most of the displays and living history areas are on flat ground or on gentle slopes. Access from the event site to tarmac roadways leading to the house and courtyard shop & restaurant is via a gentle grass slope.
*except for the recreated medieval wedding, held in the Harewood estate’s church about a 7 minute walk away up the hill from the main site, via a track way.
Other events 2012
Click here for details of other historical events organised by EventPlan
this year.
A brief history of re-
Interested in how and why re-
Updated 16 May 2012