The English Civil War Society - We bring history alive !

Introduction

You don't have to imagine the roar of cannons, the crackle of musketry, the clash of armour, the thunder of horses hooves and the beating of drums. You can see and hear the drama of a civil war battle being recreated by members of The English Civil War Society. Smell the gunpowder during the battle, or the woodsmoke from the soldiers' campfires and the aromas of food being cooked in seventeenth century fashion. Feel the weight of muskets and armour, see craftsmen at work using the tools and techniques of the seventeenth century. Discover the social divide between the finely dressed officers and gentry and the soldiers and tradesmen beneath them.

Visitors demand more from their leisure activities today, and exploring the past is ever more popular. With the help of The English Civil War Society you can bring your venue alive with the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the seventeenth century, offering a memorable experience to visitors of all ages.

Battles

Battles, or major musters as we prefer to call them, provide an opportunity for the entire membership of the Society to participate in presenting a spectacle with hundreds of foot soldiers on each side, fully supported by cavalry, artillery and camp followers.

Battles can be used to illustrate the story of historical engagements, perhaps on, or close to the original sites, or to demonstrate the military tactics of seventeenth century warfare in a typical, but otherwise fictional, encounter.

Battles are a major logistical undertaking for us - horse and heavy cannon transport, safe movement and storage of gunpowder, risk assessments, first aid arrangements, campsite accommodation for a large number of participants, and great many more things must be considered. Our experience in the successful management of these factors in over 30 years of staging large events will ensure that we have solutions that will work for your venue.

Skirmishes

If there are constraints on space and time, a skirmish can be an excellent option to enhance your event. Skirmishes are smaller displays that typically concentrate on of the role of the foot soldiers in the civil war, although they can include two or three mounted troops and small cannons.

A fully scripted skirmish between two similarly sized infantry units can be staged (depending on the terrain and space available), showing the drama and excitement of conflict during the period. This can form a spectacular finale to an event, or be part of an overall scenario. A 'Living History' encampment and drill displays can also be included as a feature at these popular events.

Living History

Our Living History events offer an interactive visitor experience. They can show separate military and civilian areas, demonstrating activities associated with the army and their followers. These can include food preparation in the kitchen (plain fare for the soldiers and finer fare for the officers and gentry), an officers' headquarters, a blacksmith with a working forge, an armourer making and repairing armour, a laundry or a barber-surgeon displaying the tools and techniques of his trade.

These present visitors with the opportunity to wander throughout the living history site, talking to the re-enactors, discovering the types of food that would be eaten, trying on a pikeman's armour or handling a matchlock musket. Our members are very knowledgeable and are always happy to answer any questions.

And we don't only portray purely military life. Seventeenthh century civilian and domestic life are also very important aspects of our re-enactments. If the location allows, we can populate an entire house for an event, bringing it to life with a range of everyday domestic activities and objects comonplace in the mid seventeenth century. We can recreate the household of a wealthy landowner, or perhaps a successful merchant, complete with retinue of servants and household staff. An elaborate meal can be served, the gentlemen can discuss business and politics and the ladies can demonstrate their skills at music and needlework.

Drill Displays

Drill displays can be attractive events to stage in a small arena where the complex infantry weapon-handling techniques and battlefield formations of the early 17th century are demonstrated close up by a single regiment or brigade. A small cannon will sometimes be included in the display to demonstrate artillery practices. All of our drills are adapted from period drill manuals and the display would be accompanied by a full commentary provided by one of our members.

Venues for this type of event are not limited to arenas and can just as easily be staged in market places in busy towns or on village greens in rural areas. They are friendly affairs that often allow the audience to enjoy a measure of social interaction with the participants before and after the displays.

Video Presentation

There was no digital media in the 17th century, and we can't offer you a real Rembrandt painting, but we do have a video presentation, "Bringing History Alive with The English Civil War Society", which features TV broadcaster Peter Snow. The video demonstrates to potential event sponsors how the Society can work with them to provide a spectacular entertainment.

Click here to watch the video

Copies of the DVD are available on request to .

 

 

What next?

You can easily enquire, without commitment, about staging an event with The English Civil War Society. Please include a brief outline of your proposals, including the intended size of the event, its location and probable date(s).

King Charles opened the use of the royal mail service to the public in 1635. The General Post Office was established by Act of Parliament under the Commonwealth in 1657 (see image at left).

Today, it is easier to communicate by e-mail, so please send your intitial enquiry to .

You can download our guide,  How To Organise An Event With The ECWS (2.05 MB). This document is somewhat dated now but it describes the organisation of major events with the ECWS, and also contains some information that will be useful for smaller events.