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David Evans

History lovers can thrill to the sound of battle, immerse themselves in medieval or Viking life and watch the modern army at work at a host of sites across the UK.
1. Battle of Hastings
One date in  British history that sticks in the mind is  October 14, 1066. On this day, an invading army of Normans, led by  Frenchman Duke William of Normandy,  defeated the English, led by  King Harold II. The battle took place on  Senlac Hill -  about 10km north of  Hastings, in  southeast  England. An abbey was built to mark the site and today it is the venue for an annual re-enactment billed as the biggest in Britain. The event grew from having a few hundred participants in  1984 to include 3,400 registered re-enactors in 2006. The 'cast' of actors and amateur enthusiasts sticks close to the story as told on the   Bayeux Tapestry. However, some historians have questioned whether Harold did  tell one of his archers to be 'careful with that arrow or you'll have someone's eye out'. See  www.english-heritage.org.uk.
2.  Largs Viking Festival
Commemorating the 1263 Battle of Largs, the last major Viking invasion of Britain,   the festival is a series of events that takes place over 10 days in August and September. Staged in Largs, a port town in Ayrshire, Scotland,  it kicks off with a Viking parade followed  by a torchlight Viking funeral procession and a couple of re-enacted skirmishes. For those  who thought Nordic life was all about pillaging and burning, there is a demonstration of falconry, a  Viking dog show and a meeting of the  Largs Model Boat Club. The whole event is rounded off with a huge party, but not before  the 1263  landings have been played out on the town's seafront, complete with the burning of a longship and a fireworks display. See  www.largsvikingfestival.com.
3. The Sealed Knot
This English civil war re-enactment group  travels  throughout  Britain educating the public about life in the turbulent period between 1649 and 1660. During this time - when Parliamentarians were battling Royalists, England was  '11 years without a parliament and  11 years without a king'. These meetings or 'musters' are held where possible on actual battlefields at weekends during the 'campaigning season':  March to October. While the organisation has many volunteers for its annual re-enactment of famous battles such as  Edgehill,  Roundway Down and  Preston, a  re-visiting of the beheading of  Charles I near the end of  those violent years has yet to appear on the 2008 event calendar. See  www.thesealedknot.co.uk.
4.   Battle of Tewkesbury
This town, in  Gloucestershire, was the location, on May 4, 1471, for a head-to-head between the armies of the  House of York and the  House of Lancaster, which  put an end to the first phase of the  War of the Roses. The battle ended Lancastrian hopes of regaining the throne of England. The event is celebrated in July at the annual  Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, which features battlefield walks, jesters, fair maidens and gallant knights, all culminating in a big showdown between the two armies (below left). See  www.tewkesburymedievalfestival.org.
5. Battle of Bannockburn
Significant  in the wars of Scottish independence, the battle   near Stirling raged for  two days in  June 1314. It saw the Scots, led by  Robert the Bruce, rout the English army, led by  King Edward II. Although heavily outnumbered, Bruce's army inflicted the biggest defeat the English had suffered since the Battle of Hastings. The event is celebrated every year on the day of the battle  at the  site where it took place. The spot is marked with a modern memorial of two semi-circular stone walls, representing the two sides, and a statue of  Bruce on horseback. See  www.nts.org.uk.
6. Caldicot Castle
Although it is not the site of a historical battle,  Caldicot Castle, in  Monmouthshire, Wales, plays host to  the Early Medieval Alliance's end-of-season extravaganza every September. Experience life as a medieval soldier  via an archery display, demonstrations of combat arts from the period and, of course,  a battle re-enactment. And if all that slashing and stabbing has worked up ye olde appetite, slake your thirst at the Crimson Moon Beer Tent. Visit  www.theema.co.uk.
7. Roman Britain
The British countryside is dotted with spectacular castles; some were built on 3,000-year-old Bronze Age settlements  and many were the sites of sieges by the Roman army. Over the summer months, some of these historic sites hold  re-enactments of battles dating back to the  1st century AD, when Britain was ruled by Rome.  The Roman Military Research Society is a group of like-minded individuals who stage historical displays of civil and military life. Its website carries a list of events for the coming year. See  www.romanarmy.net.
8. Edinburgh Military Tattoo (below right)
The guns and swords are replaced with bagpipes and drums in this  show set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, in the picturesque Scottish capital. This annual event, which has taken place for  more than 50 years, began life as a celebration of the Scottish regiments.  Today, it features performers from more than 40 countries. Visit www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk.
9. Changing the Guard
The history of the regular changeover of guards on the forecourt of  London's Buckingham Palace can be traced back to  1660. Today, the soldiers are drawn from the  five regiments that make up the  Foot Guards in the British Army. When the queen is in residence there are four  sentries at the front of the building and when she's away there are two. During the changeover, the Guards' band plays traditional military marches, but pop tunes and show songs have also been showcased. Also called Guard Mounting, it takes place at  11.30am every day from  May to July and on alternate dates throughout the rest of the year.  See www.royal.gov.uk.
10. Royal Windsor Horse Show
This annual show features many equestrian and non-equestrian events, including the popular  Musical Drive of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The drive comprises six teams of 10 horses, seven riders, four officers and four section commanders, each pulling a heavy cannon with no brakes. The teams perform daring moves  at speed and all to a backdrop of dramatic music. The finale is signalled with the firing of all six guns in unison. Learn more at  www.royal-windsor-horse-show.co.uk.



Military Britain