Discovering Medieval

Museums & historical sites

Making flour Discovering Medieval can offer an interactive living history experience with all the sites sounds and smells of the medieval era. We're available 7 days a week, 364 days of the year. We'll provide your visitors with an experience they'lll never forget!

Discovering Medieval are all about getting up close with history, which is why we have set about creating a series of interactive living history displays which are loads of fun for kids and adults alike. In a lot of museums you might be able to see a piece of armour behind a glass case, even at a re-enactment event you can not normally touch the armour but imagine being able to let your visitors pick it up, feel the weight of it and try it on themselves!

In addtion to this we can provide a series of purely living history talks or characters.

Listed below are just some of the interactive displays we can provide. Please click on a link to find out more information about that display:

Dress as a knight

Visit the surgeon & mix medieval medicines

Wear medieval clothes

Crime & punishment

Meet the miller and grind your own flour

Medieval children - toys and games

Help the medieval cook

In addtion to this we can come as characters who can talk about what their life is like. You can hire them for a bit of ambience for your event to walk around the site or set up with historic items to talk about their life. Current characters include:

William Hobbes - Physician & surgeon to King Edward IV & Richard III

Old Knight - He has been in service to the king for many years

If you have an idea for a character for your site you would like us to research and portray, please let us know.

We have worked with the National Trust and English Heritage and have given displays at the EH Festival of History (Kelmarsh Hall), Bodiam Castle, Battle Abbey, Dover Castle, Wrest Park, Lacock Abbey, Oxford Castle, Royal Gunpowder Mills, Canterbury Tales, Cressing Temple Barns and Norwich Castle.

What they say about us:

Lacock Abbey, National Trust

'Just a quick note to say thank you for adding such a fun and quality element to our Medieval Day with your displays of Medieval Life'.

Once again visitors both young and old really enjoyed the displays and being able to take part through your hands-on approach to history. The armour was once again a big success and the crime and punishment display was definitely a hit.

From an organiser point of view, the event was once again a success and I hope that we will be able to do something similar again in 2008. Thank you once again for an extremely professional and entertaining approach to history.'

Ian Flint - Museums Interpreters Manager, Norwich Castle

'Speaking as an experienced Interpreter and Museum Manager, may I take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful interactive display and talks you supplied us here at Norwich Castle.

We have received over 30 individual comments slips this week mentioning your displays, and have had many more verbal comments made to our in-house teams.

It is a pleasure to engage the services of a professional, dedicated and fun company that delivers so completely on its promise to 'Unlock the past'.

I look forward to engaging you again whenever possible.'

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!'

See us again at the Festival of History on 11 & 12 August 2007.

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 living history competition 2005. Considering our numbers and that it's our first year of entering we're very proud of this achievement!

Insurance
Discovering Medieval have public liability insurance up to £5 000,000. The certificate of insurance can be provided upon request. Risk assessments for our displays can also be provided upon request.

Why should you hire us?
Discovering Medieval are professional historical interpreters and this is our only job. We will provide you with a professional and reliable service. We will work solidly throughout the entire day and will only pause for lunch and toilet breaks. We are dedicated to working hard and to providing as enjoyable and fun experience for your visitors as possible. We do this for a living 364 days a year and are very experienced at working with and entertaining children. We are constantly seeking ways to improve, expand and enhance our interactive experiences to make them even more enjoyable. Often our displays are so busy we have cues waiting to see us!

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 but we are very competitively priced. Please contact us for details.

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

Please replace (at) with the @ symbol if you wish to e-mail us.

Tel: 07795 312420

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

Demonstrating the cupping glass

Cupping glass in situ