First day of battle re-enactment ends on high note

There is still a chance to join in as the event will continue tomorrow and Monday as well

THE first day of the re-enactment of the Battle of Newbury has finished and hundreds of people have already witnessed the sights, sounds and smells of the seventeenth century.

Performed by the Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote, The Sealed Knot, the re-enactment of the 1644 battle took place at Newbury Showground.

In the morning, people wandered 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 other weapons took to the field to re-enact the battle.

Kate Vowell from Thatcham was performing in the Living History camp with her husband Simon, three-week-old daughter Jessica and three-year-old daughter Jennifer.

She said: “I have always been interested in history.

“The children love being outside where they can run around and they get on with the other children – they grow up together.

“I like that there's nothing modern here; no mobile phones and no watches.

“It gives you the chance to socialise with friends as it's quite a sociable activity.”

The event will continue tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday from 10.30am until 4.30pm.

Tickets on the gate cost £10 for adults, £5 for children and £25 for a family ticket.