In-tents medieval day at Ludlow Castle

A village of tents to put this season's festival-goers to shame set up in the grounds of Ludlow Castle, just down the road from a civil war-era encampment at Stokesay Castle, near Craven Arms.

The Ludlow family fun day was focussed on an earlier period of history with Welsh heritage group The Freemen of Gwent bringing the huge historical ruin to life once more, portraying the period from the early 1300s to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, a time overseen by Edward III who was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages.

There were soldiers and knights in training, archery and dressing for battle – but it wasn't all about the fighting.

Sonja Belchere, castle custodian, said it was quite a different kind of event to the Battle Heritage days also held at the castle, which were championships for a kind of full-contact martial art in ancient-style armour.

Yesterday, however, the full sights and sounds of a medieval village were created in the grounds, with the focus more firmly on the history in all its aspects.

Mrs Belchere said: "It's what it would have been like to have an actual medieval camp here.

"We haven't had the Freemen of Gwent here before, but they're absolutely brilliant. When you look inside one of their tents they've got a full four-poster bed in there, I've never seen anything like it."

She said the weather held and people come out in force for the bank holiday.

"It's been excellent, very busy and it's actually been dry despite the bad weather forecast – and people have come out in their droves," she said.

She added that there had been junior jousting on hobby horses for the children, as well as James the Jester from Chester entertaining, and a medieval treasure hunt.

"We have also had a few traders who have done very well and a lady doing medieval food demonstrations in the inner bailey," she added.