On a recent trip in January, the Chester Photographic Society invited me to join others on a day out experiencing and photographing one of the largest historical events to take place in the UK, the famous re-enactment of the Battle of Nantwich. I have always had an intense interest in English history and Nantwich was one of the decisive battles in the English Civil war, 1642-1651. So I was certainly promised a day to remember!

It’s hard to imagine that there was a major civil war in England which pitted King Charles I (who believed in the so-called divine right of kings) and the Royalists (Cavaliers) against the parliamentarians (Roundheads). The outcome of the war was to have a lasting event on the formation of modern Britain.

At Nantwich, the Parliamentarians rallied to fight off the Royalists from breaking through the town’s defences and marked the end of a long and painful siege of the town. Its historical significance was that it represented the first clear cut major victory for the Parliamentarians and prevented the Royalists from establishing a permanent ascendancy in the North West.

The annual event was organised by The Holly Holy Day and the Sealed Knot re-enactment societies and took place in and around Nantwich town centre on January 23. The Saturday nearest to January 25, the date of the original battle, is always chosen for this event and, as with every year, thousands of tourists and residents took a trip through time to relive this famous battle.

This was to be my first such re enactment and I was shown where I could see all the action, not only the battles themselves but also the other related activities around the town. The whole event was so vivid that, despite it being a sunny but cold wintery day, five hours passed by incredibly quickly and I was pleased with several of the images that I managed to capture.

Taking part in re-enactments is a great hands-on way to learn and celebrate history

The re-enactment is referred to by the locals as Holly Holy Day and the name originates from sprigs of holly worn in the hats of townsfolk following the battle.

The Sealed Knot’s emblem was taken from the great chain of the Order of the Garter, in which sealed knots alternate with the Tudor Rose. The re-enactment group was formed in February 1968 and, within a few months, had amassed 200 members. Today, it has a membership of over 4,000, making it the largest re-enactment society in Europe.

This year marked the 372nd anniversary of the original battle and the 44th time the re-enactment has taken place.

The Sealed Knot comprises a number of regiments split into Parliamentarian, Royalist and Scots armies. The group was responsible for the first commemoration in January 1971 of the Battle of Nantwich and, in 1973, the Sealed Knot staged the first modern re-enactment of the battle, which has now become an annual event. An award in the shape of a rose bowl is presented to the winning King’s Lifeguard, with the judgement based on criteria that include appearance, marching, teamwork and skill.

The Sealed Knot is organised on the lines of a 17th-century army with horse, foote, dragoons and a train of artillery.

At Nantwich, I was able to capture and immerse myself in the spirit of battle, which included troops marching and battling each other, pike men preparing to fight, artillery demonstrations, the boom of canons, musket fire and troops marching to the beat of drums. It was just like in the movies and, even during this fake battle, casualties were carried away and tended by townsfolk.For the many thousands that showed up to enjoy the spectacle, it was an action-packed day with activities for both adults and children.

Taking part in re-enactments is a great hands-on way to learn and celebrate history, and this is very much part of the ethos of Nantwich, to experience what everyday life was like at that time with respect to food, clothing, traditional crafts and skills and so forth. There was a hog roast, a pillory re-enactment on Pillory Street, townsfolk dressed in clothes from the era and soldiers and mounted troops parading through the town on their way to the Mill Island where the battles took place.

Schoolchildren from across Nantwich also took part in the event, dressed up in historical costumes and learning about local history by bringing it alive and trying out real artefacts.

The attention to detail throughout made it look so real that it felt as though I was watching history unravel before my eyes

The attention to detail throughout – from clothing, to rifles, smoke and canons – helped make it look so real that it felt as though I was watching history unravel before my own eyes.

Re-enactments are found all over the world and are undertaken by a variety of groups with different objectives – but it was only recently that the phenomenon became a bonafide tourist attraction.

Such events tend to feature common themes that focus around a vivid encounter with a specific historical period or event. Experiencing living history by watching costumed re-enactors is the closest feeling you can get to going back in time to taste the moment.

www.battleofNantwich.co.uk

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