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Discovering Medieval now trade as Happening History. This site is no longer in use. Please visit us at www.happeninghistory.co.uk

We now provide displays on the 1940s Home Front as well as medieval life.

Fetes & Fayres

Discovering Medieval can bring a dash of colour and excitement to your fete or fayre with our hands on, interactive approach to history! It's a fun and educational way to learn about history for young and old alike.

Below are some of the exciting displays we can provide:

Dress medieval style
Young budding lords, ladies, and peasants are asked to come and join us in dressing up medieval style! Discovering Medieval have many sets of medieval clothes in a large range of sizes to fit any age from 4 to adult. The medieval clothes can be worn on top of normal clothes.

Medieval toys & games
People love toys & games and medieval games are no exception. Many of the medieval games are no longer played or not commonly played anymore and are therefore of particular interest to the public. In this display adults and children alike are encouraged to learn about and play with the medieval toys and games.

Games include the following: Merles (9 mens morris), fox & geese, dice, knucklebones (pewter & real). We even have a replica 13thC chess set and can show them how to play medieval chess. We also have some superb replica medieval playing cards to show them.

For centuries people thought that medieval childhoold might not have been a fun time but thinking has changed in recent years and our set of medieval toys certainly proves this. Medieval toys include: dolls, leather & wooden balls, cup & ball (slightly later), hobby horses, whipping tops, spinning tops, minature replica ceramics (So similar to the miniature tea sets we play with now!), ceramic figures & animals, wheeled toys, rattles, marbles, whistles, hoops and diablo. Pewter toys were also incredibly popular in medieval times, particularly in England. Our pewter replicas include a bird with a moving tongue (original in the Museum of London), minature pewter jug and a whistle in the shape of a head.

This is a great display as it entertains so many people at once and the range of toys and games is constantly being added to.

Become a knight
Discovering Medieval can offer your visitors a chance to learn what it was really like to wear medieval armour. Could you move in it? Was it heavy? What did it feel like to be inside all that armour? We have replica armour to fit old and young alike, including armour made specially to fit children (made for us by Best Armour).

Often the closest most people will get to armour is behind a glass case in a museum. Even at a re-enactment event they may not be able to try the armour on. It's most peoples dream as a kid to try on real armour and hold a sword and with this display they can do just that. Imagine giving them the opportunity to actually wear armour!

They can feel the weight of the armour, what it was like to sit and bend in it. Feel the weight of a hauberk, hold a sword or learn how a knight would use a pole axe with deadly efficiency to kill an opponent.

Visit the surgeon and mix medieval medicines
We can offer your visitors the chance to learn about medieval surgery and medicine. Medicine is our speciality and we have a huge number of replica medical items to show the visitors. Visitors can learn what medieval surgery and medicine was like. They can learn what it was like for a medieval soldier to have an amputation, see the surgeons bloodletting bowl and the bloodsucking leeches, learn medieval physicians bizarre theory on the cause of disease, how they treated toothache, how doctors diagnosed what was wrong with a patient by tasting their urine and younger kids can even have a go at mixing up some plague cures themselves (from safe kitchen herbs like rosemary). Visitors can also have their own pretend amputation with our specially blunted surgeons tools.

Kids in particular love to hear the gruesome tales of the surgeon!

Colleen Coles - Events and Exhibitions Officer, Cressing Temple Barns:

'May I, on behalf of Cressing Temple, thank Discovering Medieval for the wonderful day that they gave our visitors at our historical activity day in August. We had nearly 450 children pass through and without exception they all enjoyed the living history experience that Discovering Medieval gave them. Everyone learnt a lot and went home having had a thoroughly enjoyable day. We look forward to meeting your group on future occasions. Many thanks.'

Emily Burns - Event Organiser, English Heritage Festival of History:

'We were delighted to have Discovering Medieval performing at the Festival of History this year. They provided hours of fun for audiences of all ages. They were both educational and entertaining and provided lots of hands-on activities for children to enjoy. We would love to have them back next year!'

Bodiam Castle - National Trust:

An accomplished and professional group of re-enactors who engage, challenge and entertain the children in a memorable way. We have been very pleased with their performance.

Discovering Medieval also won third prize in Herstmonceux medieval festival living history competition 2005. Considering our numbers and that it's our first year of entering we're very proud of this achievement!

Cost
The cost is negotiable and dependant on how many days you would like to hire us for and how far we need to travel. A discount may apply if you hire us for more than one event.. Please contact us to make an enquiry.

Contact us
To find out more information or to make a booking please contact Paul Hamilton-Viall:

Tel:07795 312420

To contact us, please replace (at) with the @ symbol.

e-mail: info(at)discoveringmedieval.co.uk