Arundel Castle to celebrate Magna Carta

ARUNDEL CASTLE in West Sussex is inviting visitors to turn back the clock this October half term, and experience 13th century life as part of its Normans and Crusaders in the Keep event (October 28-29).  

Visitors will be taken back to 1215, the year of #MagnaCarta, when England was ruled by King John, and when #ArundelCastle was one of few Royalist strongholds.

Norman knights, archers, and servants, will be brought to life by performers from the Raven Tor Living History Group, with each character telling stories of life in the 1200s.

There will also be combat and archery demonstrations, and the opportunity for master the ancient crafts of braiding and weaving.

Castle manager Bryan McDonald said: ‘As this year is the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, it seems apt that our final event of the season takes us back to 1215.’

www.arundelcastle.org

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Picture Credit: www.arundelcastle.org

Celebrate in Windsor

THE Royal Borough of Windsor has reasons to celebrate this year …

Waterloo at Windsor: 1815 – 2015: 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon. George IV created the Waterloo Chamber in Windsor Castle and filled with portraits of those instrumental in the victory, chief among them, of course, the Duke of Wellington. 

Throughout 2015, Waterloo at Windsor: 1815 – 2015 combines a themed trail through the castle’s State Apartments with a display of prints and drawings that explore the battle and its aftermath. The trail highlights objects seized on the battlefield by the victors, including silver, furniture, weapons, and Napoleon’s red coat, which was presented to George IV by Wellington's ally, Field-Marshal Gebhardt von Blücher.

Magna Carta 800: This historic anniversary will be marked with a river relay led by Gloriana, the Queen's Row Barge. The weekend of June 13-14 will see a flotilla of boats make its way from upstream of Cookham to Runnymede. This stretch of the Thames provides plenty of viewing opportunities, where visitors can walk in the footsteps of King John across the ancient riverside meadows at Runnymede and visit Windsor Castle. Windsor features in one of four special Magna Carta 800 trails created to mark the anniversary of the sealing of the 'greatest constitutional document of all times'. The four- day London to Windsor itinerary covers the British Library (home of Magna Carta); Runnymede (where it was signed with the Great Seal) and Windsor Castle.

The Queen's Walkway: Later in the year, a new walkway in Windsor will celebrate the Queen as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. The four-mile accessible route starts and finishes at Windsor Castle's King Henry VIII Gate, and links 63 places of interest.

Work on the walkway started in January and will be completed by September 9, the date the Queen becomes the country’s longest-serving sovereign … serving 23,226 days and 16 hours, and overtaking the record currently held by Queen Victoria.


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Picture Credit: "Windsor Castle" by Daniel Hass (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons; 

Magna Carta in Lincoln

LINCOLN CASTLE has one of the only four original copies of #MagnaCarta. 

It can be seen there in a new visitor centre which opened on April 1.

The centre also features a 'wall of words' on which each word of the 1215 document is translated into modern English, plus a cinema screen to tell the document's story. 

Also on display is one of only two surviving original copies of the Charter of the Forest, issued in 1217 to amplify Magna Carta.

www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/visiting/historic-buildings/lincoln-castle

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Picture Credits: "Lincoln Castle Turret" by Stuart Herrington (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons; "Magna Carta" parchment Courtesy lincolnshire.gov.uk/visiting/historic-buildings/lincoln-castle

Easter in Kent

FROM feeding newborn lambs to cracking clues in Easter egg hunts, Kent has much to entertain young and not-s0-young at Easter.

Visitors to Howletts Wild Animal Park (near Canterbury) and Port Lympne Reserve (near Hythe) are guaranteed a cracking time. 

Activities will be held every day from April 2 to April 19. On Easter Monday, visitors at Port Lympne can watch the gorilla family taking part in their own Easter egg hunt. www.aspinallfoundation.org.uk

There will be new lambs at the Rare Breeds Centre, Woodchurch, Ashford this spring, Easter chicks and piglets are expected too. www.rarebreeds.org.uk

Spring will be in bloom at Leeds Castle, with an Easter egg hunt through the Woodland Walk, circus-themed characters to find and jesters' japes at the castle during the Easter weekend. Children can learn circus skills in the grounds, where jesters will demonstrate stilt walking and perform juggling shows. You can also have your face painted and have a go at archery. www.leeds-castle.com

Activities are on offer at Penshurst Place, Tonbridge, as the venue celebrates the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta. 

Follow a family Magna Carta trail to discover just how wicked King John was, and learn why the barons revolted. www.penshurstplace.com

Experience the fun of the fair at the Festival of Steam at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham. The two- day festival on Easter Sunday and Monday features a steam funfair, street entertainment, live music, and walkabout acts. Steam trains will be in motion and hundreds of classic cars will line the streets. www.thedockyard.co.uk/steamandtransport 

Explore the World Garden at Lullingstone Castle, Eynsford. Set within 120 acres of Kent countryside, the castle is one of England's oldest family estates. 

It opens its doors for the 2015 season on April 4 with a grand Easter egg hunt. www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk




Tractor rides through Kent orchards, Easter egg hunts, and a chance to pet baby animals will all be available at Brogdale this Easter. Home of the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale will hold its annual Easter celebration on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Sunday. The Brogdale Barn will be full of calves, lambs, goats, and chickens, and families can meet the animals and the farmers who care for them. www.brogdalecollections.co.uk

Chartwell will take visitors on a journey around the grounds and woodland of Winston Churchill's family home. Follow wartime bunny rabbits along the route and find items the bunnies have lost on their way. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

ww.visitkent.co.uk


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Picture Credit:"Flickr - law keven - Feeling Ruff...HBWE Everybody..-O))" by Keven Law from Los Angeles, USA via Wikimedia Commons; "Magnat Carta fragment" GoHoliday via Wikimedia Commons; "World Garden of Plants, Lullingstone Castle - geograph.org.uk - 214919" by Danny Robinson via Wikimedia Commons