Saxon Festival Weekend

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Fri 09 Jun 2023 - Sun 11 Jun 2023

Saxons are set to invade the grounds of a medieval Staffordshire castle as part of a historical event. The Aethelfest Saxon Festival will be taking place under the ramparts of Tamworth Castle over the weekend of June 9-11. Saxons will be taking over the Castle Grounds with a packed weekend of themed activities for all ages to enjoy. Tamworth Borough Council’s event allows visitors to travel back in time and see what life was like as a Saxon centuries ago; think fires, battle and armour, pottery, heraldry, myths, legends, stories and archery.

The official opening of Aethelfest 2023 commences on the Friday evening in the Great Hall at the castle, with guest speaker David Stokes, author and Professor at Kingston University. This is a ticketed event priced at £5 including refreshments.



Tamworth, during the Saxon times, was the capital of the Kingdom of Mercia, and one of the most powerful kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. The town’s rich history will be celebrated through various free fun workshops – from embroidery to coin making, to demonstrations of Saxon burial rites and many spectacular battle re-enactments. Plus, don’t miss live free music at the bandstand –grab refreshments from the Gatehouse, sit back and enjoy. Expand your knowledge of Tamworth history and take your Saxon weekend experience to the next level by visiting the castle and meeting Saxon living history characters.

Visitors can also see items of the Staffordshire hoard, and learn about Aethelflaed, the incredible ‘Lady of the Mercians’ (Normal admission prices apply). The castle will be showcasing a number of special talks throughout the weekend from renowned authors and historians including Annie Whitehead, Donald Williamson, MJ Porter, Tim Clarkson and David Stokes. In addition, the castle is hosting a unique tasting event with The Mercia Spirit Lab featuring their special range of spirits including mead, whisky and Mercia gin. Further information, and the chance to buy admission tickets, is available from: www.tamworthcastle.co.uk/aethelfest.



Anna Miller, Tamworth Borough Council Assistant Director for Growth and Regeneration, said: “We’re really looking forward to this event as it’s a fantastic experience for everyone, old and young. These events are extremely popular in Tamworth as it gives people the chance to put themselves in the shoes of people that lived centuries ago, and the events aren’t only educational, but they’re filled with loads of fun activities and it makes for a great day out, too. It’s also an opportunity to visit Tamworth Castle and take in the history and traditions inside these walls as well as take pictures of the site. It’s an incredible structure which is definitely worth a visit. This year we have some renowned speakers and historians sharing their knowledge live demonstrations.”

The Castle Grounds is open all year round, with the Saxon weekend event running from 10am – 5pm on both days.

#castle
#history
#festivals
#community events

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