Town to relive history at Romans festival

The second annual Malton Romans Festival will take visitors back to the time when the town was a vital Roman fort used to defend against marauding armies from the north.

As part of the festival, professional archaeologists will lead guided tours of Roman ruins while members of the sixth and ninth Legions will take part in battle re-enactments.

There will also be a full programme of living history demonstrations including weapons displays, gladiatorial combat and Roman cooking alongside a heritage tent with a brief outline of Roman history and culture.

The festival will also be used as an opportunity to display a collection of recent archaeological finds that have never been publicly exhibited before, including some original Roman pottery.

This year’s festival takes place on July 23 and 24 and has been timed to coincide with the Ryedale Festival to boost visitor numbers.

For further information on the events in the Malton Romans Festival, go to www.paul-andrews.net/Romansindex.htm.