Civil war brought to life in Newbury

The Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote, The Sealed Knot, will re-enact the Second Battle of Newbury this weekend

NEWBURY Showground will be awash with the sights and smells of civil war this weekend as the Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote, The Sealed Knot, re-enact the Second Battle of Newbury.

The three day event will start today (Saturday) with a large parade of soldiers meeting in the Market Place before they return to their regiments ready for the battle at the Showground.

Then, up until Monday, May 30 in the mornings, people can wander through the Living History camp to see how the soldiers and their families lived - the food they ate, the clothes they wore and the skills they needed to survive.

In the afternoon, soldiers with cannons and cavalry will take to the field to re-enact the 1644 Second Battle of Newbury.

A member of the Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote, Jennie Currie, said: "We hope that we should attract strong crowds at Newbury Showground and hopefully it should be entertaining.

“We hope it will also remind people about the history of our town and the important part Newbury played in the Civil War.”

Gates open from 10.30am until 4.30pm; for more information about booking tickets, click on the link below.