Day for knights as clock turned back 1,000 years at mansion

THE clock was turned back 1,000 years for visitors to a medieval festival which recreated the sights and sounds of life in England when Norman knights on horseback roamed the country and peasants tilled the land.

The new annual event at Harewood House, near Leeds, drew crowds to watch jousting knights, pitched battles, archery and falconry from the Middle Ages.

Medieval food and cooking, fashion, music and even a wedding were also among features of the entertainment bringing to life colour from the era.

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There was also the chance for those wanting their own slice of Medieval history to make their own shields, crowns, swords, puppets, heraldry and beads, as well as the opportunity to try out the stocks.

Visitors were also given tours for the first time of the mid-14th Century Harewood Castle – said to be the finest example of a fortified tower house in Yorkshire – as well as a chance to see the 15th Century All Saints’ Church and the scene newly excavated by experts from York University of the 13th Century manor house Gawthorpe Hall, which occupied the site until its demolition in 1774 after Harewood House was built.

The event is part of a five-year project exploring the medieval history of Harewood.