The knights are getting shorter

Firing bows and arrows and swiping medieval swords were just some of the activities children, including eight-year-old Devon McQuaide, above, who got his hands on a 14th Century longsword, enjoyed at York Castle Museum.

It was the first in a regular series of knightly events this summer which celebrate the castle, a fort which once occupied a large area of the city.

Visitors will get the chance to make a medieval style helmet, watch a professional armourer at work and sample medieval punishment in the pillory and stocks. Marketing manager Charlotte Dootson said: “We are inviting people to come and get an idea of what life would have been like and practise some knightly skills.“ picture: Gerard Binks.