Knights In Battle

Founded in 1973 as a medieval reenactment society, Knights in Battle has gone from strength to strength and has evolved into one of the best medieval Living History groups in the UK.

We portray members of the household of Sir John Howard, who later became the 1st Duke of Norfolk and one of the most influential men of his period.

We pride ourselves on our authenticity and attention to detail portraying the men and women of the Howard household, but we also pride ourselves on having a good time whilst doing that.

What we do

We're a Living History group that mainly portrays members of the household of Sir John Howard, one of the most influential men of the 15th Century. His household staff and retinue was incredibly large and consisted of people performing every aspect and role of Medieval life. Our members like to explore the different roles and jobs of the household, these include combat through to artisanal crafts such as leather, wood and metal work. See below for a small selection of the roles available.

Man-At-Arms

Men-at-Arms were the hard hitting 'in your face' infantry of a households fighting force. They were well trained, and well armed.

To fight at one of our events as a man-at-arms you will need a basic level of kit, this is:

- Helmet

- Gauntlets

- Padded armour e.g. gambeson.

The Man-at-Arms can be fielded individually, in small groups, or as part of a large unit. This can be very intense but very rewarding and fun!

Even though the title of this role is 'MAN-at arms' this is just the title it was given at the time. Any of our members regardless of gender are welcome to give this a go.

Archer

The archer was the backbone of an English army and greatly feared across wider Europe, especially after the crushing defeat of the French at Agincourt, 1415.

The weapon of choice for the English Archer was the Longbow. Longbows were typically in the range 6ft plus in length and had a draw weight (the weight it took to pull the bow) in excess of 120lbs.

A trained archer can effectively deliver an arrow to a target at over 300 yards and accurately at over 200 yards.

During the period, all fit men from the ages of 10 to 65 would be called to train with the Longbow and be called to fight if necessary.

The basic kit requirements for this are same as the Man-At-Arms and the group has a small number of bows that can be loaned for members use.

Artisan

A medieval household required a lot of upkeep to be successful and employed a lot skilled tradespeople and artisan within and without.

Knights in Battle is very lucky to have a large number of members that are skilled at different crafts and are willing to teach those that are willing to learn. A few of those crafts are:

Leatherworker:

Everyone would have needed a belt and it is one of the easiest leather items to make. Pouches and purses were often made out of leather and used by almost everyone. For those that could afford it knife sheaths and sword scabbards were made from leather and often very well decorated.

Woodworker:

These artisans were responsible for a very wide array of items from the wooden frame structures in buildings to common eating items such as plates, bowls and spoons.

Blacksmith:

The Woodworker and Leatherworker both relied on the Blacksmith to be able to successfully pursue there roles. Both needed good quality tools, or for metalwork to be repaired and supplied.

The three artisanal roles above are just a small selection of the craft roles available.

Cook

Knights in Battle has an extensive and very well equipped, authentic Medieval kitchen. We use only ingredients and recipes that would have been available to the 15th century cook, and they are incredibly varied. A good cook was highly valued and excerpts from the Household accounts of John Howard showed that no expense was spared and the cooks had access to a wide range of ingredients including spices all over the known world.

No specific kit is required for this role other than general medieval work clothing.

Apprentice

When joining the group it becomes apparent that the available roles are widely varied and anyone looking to learn will become an Apprentice. This means that you are willing to get involved and learn what it means to live as part of a household in the 15th Century.

During your first year as a new member of the group we have a small selection of kit which can be loaned. This kit can be used in your first year enabling you to put together your own basic standard of kit. As a group we will encourage and guide you on what to acquire and can even show you how to make a lot your kit, which is rewarding in its self as you will learn a lot of new skills through that.

Above is just a small selection of the roles available to those that are interested. We encourage anyone who is interested to take up any role they wish within the society and learn all there is to offer in Medieval life. We are a diverse group that prides itself a friendly and inclusive membership. Knights in Battle also does a few 13th Century events which is more focussed on Combat and Pageantry