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We're all about getting hands on and interactive with history. We bring a fun and fresh approach to learning history by a combination of interactive display and dialogue. All our displays are hands on and are a fantastic way to teach old and young alike. Through years of re-enacting experience (historical recreation) we have learnt that most people really want to get up close to the history and experience it first hand. This is why we have set about creating some special displays to really involve the public. Our interactive displays/talks include dressing young people in medieval clothes, turning them into a knight by dressing them in reproduction armour, taking part in a medieval feast or peasants meal, traveling on a pilgrimage, or mixing safe medieval medicines.
We have worked with the National Trust and English Heritage and have given displays at the EH Festival of History (Kelmarsh Hall), Bodiam Castle, the Canterbury Tales, Royal Gunpowder Mills, Oxford Castle, Norwich Castle, Wrest Park, the Hop Farm and Cressing Temple barns. We have given displays at village fetes and fayres, done work for TV and recently collaborarated with Ian Dawson & Hodder Murrary on their new GCSE medicine through time CD. What they say about us 'Dear Discovering Medieval, Thanks so much for the fantastic two day workshop you did with our Year 7 classes. Both staff and students really enjoyed the activities and they were the highlight of our Medieval Extravaganza. Your carefully planned workshops were both fun and educational providing the students with an engaging introduction to life in medieval England. In fact you managed an overview of our entire Medieval Realms course in two hours! The students responded well to the competitive edge, and this helped them really focus on the important content of the workshop. We really appreciated your ability to provide for us exactly what we needed and help support the evening presentation to parents as well. I would happily and confidently recommend you to any other History Department. Please use my name and contact details if necessary. Wishing you the best of luck and hopefully see you next year '
'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: 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. We work at Bodiam during the Summer giving school displays so if you want to combine DM and a castle visit, why not contact them to make a booking to see us there. Please visit the dedicated web pages for fetes & fayres, museums and historical sites or schools to learn more detail about what we can do for you. If you don't fit into one of these categories but are interested in hiring us then please contact us and we can discuss some ideas. All members of Discovering Medieval are available to hire for film work with our own medieval clothes and we can hire out our historical reproductions.
Both key members of Discovering Medieval have enhanced CRB disclosures which can be provided on request. We have public liability insurance up to £5,000,000. Risk assesments for all our displays can be provided on request. Please contact Paul Hamilton-Viall (alias Wel) for details on both. To find out more information or to make a booking please contact us: Karen Hamilton-Viall (Schools): Paul Hamilton-Viall (Museums & historical sites/Fetes & Fayres and film work): |
Discovering medieval was formed by a group of friends with a passion for history and a desire to prove to others how interesting history can be. 
We also provide a series of more detailed living history talks on such subjects as food and cooking, life of a medieval man at arms on campaign, medicine/surgery and the plague, medieval games, medieval women, clothing, and arms and armour (including archery) and milling. The range of subjects is constantly being added to so please do come back and visit our site again. All the reproductions of historical items that we own (of which there are a vast quantity) are based on archaelogical finds or items depicted in paintings and manuscripts from the 15th century.
Colleen Coles - Events and Exhibitions Officer, 
The cost for hiring us varies depending on how many days you would like to hire us for and how far we have to travel as there may be extra travel costs involved. We cover most of the South East area including, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk and Norfolk but will travel further afield for an additional fee. Contact us to talk about the possibilities.