Tewkesbury goes back in time for 15th century battle
Wonderly’s Jordan Adcock goes into battle!
Jordan Adcock
Today, the small market town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire looks the least likely place
for warfare. Yet in July, in an open field with the Celsius nearing the 30s, hundreds of actors
wore padded arming clothes, steel helmets and plate armour covering the whole body to
reenact a great battle fought more than 500 years ago.
Welcome to the world of re-enactment – it’s leagues above mere fancy dress! These people
don’t just know the history, they’re dedicated to living and breathing it, just shy of the battle’s
actual violence of course (yes, their weapons are blunt in case you wondered).
Tewkesbury re-enacts the battle, originally fought in 1471 during the Wars of the Roses, on
fields just out of sight of its historic abbey. It was yet another clash where the English throne
hung in the balance; Yorkist King Edward IV’s ultimately decisive victory over the
Lancastrian Prince Edward, who was intercepted trying to reach Wales to consolidate his
own forces, ensured the king’s rule for twelve years afterwards.
Re-enactors will invest lots of money and time into period-accurate costumes and props,
including full harnesses of articulated steel plate armour. This year’s re-enactment felt more
special, if only because of returning after a Covid-necessitated hiatus in 2020 and 2021.
The fact that this battle was fought with thousands of knights and foot soldiers fades as the
hundreds of troops advance, fight and retreat all according to the historical accounts – it’s an
impressive, rehearsed spectacle that you can take seriously.
That said, some of the actors are more up for a “fight” than others, and they can leave
sizeable dents in their opponents’ armour, like the historical enthusiast YouTuber Lindybeige
discovered to his annoyance after taking part on the Yorkist side.
When you walk around the ‘war camps’, featuring period-accurate tents, tables and food,
they’ll share their knowledge with you, showing off their weapons that include the breech and
muzzle-loaded cannons which formed the artillery. That’s right, artillery and handguns
appeared on battlefields earlier than some might have realised. They work, too – but don’t
worry, the very convincing smoke and bang is just for show!
With all the lordly liveries and heraldry, it’s also a much more colourful occasion than many
fantasy spectacles depict the Middle Ages – to be fair, the Saturday couldn’t have had
brighter sunshine!
The phrase ‘knights in shining armour’ definitely comes true when you see the men-at-arms
and foot soldiers march onto the field, their steel plates reflecting the cloudless day like
mirrors as they form their lines.
Yet, rather than conjuring images of clear heroes and villains, there’s competing claims to
the English throne, with both King Edward and Prince Edward backed by big armies. The
commentary over the battle may be a modern touch but it is very helpful for understanding
the battle’s movements pointing out who’s who and the tactics used by both sides as they push forward, clash, retreat and repeat until the Yorkists inevitably rout their opponents.
Thanks to the re-enactors’ hard work, history isn’t just remembered, it’s re-lived.
