Plantagenet medieval archery and combat society

30/08/2024

“Looking into the past” a superb photograph, I’m sure you’ll agree, from our Bank Holiday event at Tattershall Castle.

27/08/2024

27/08/2024

And so the morning sun rises and the Knights saddle up their horses for the return journey to their castles!
The overall winner of the Grand Tourney was.......

JEAN DE GRAILLY!!!

We hope every one of the realm that came to see us had a great day filled with archers, musicians, squire training, armour talks, ladies dancing and the grand tourney!
We wish you safe travels to your holdings and look forward to seeing you again!

P.s. If anyone snapped photos of the day, we would love to see them so post in the comments below!

25/08/2024

Your Victor of the Day and the chosen to lead the English army at Tiffauges in France is......

Sir John Chandos!!!

A hard fought final melee saw him as the last man standing.
The other Knights will dust themselves off and will return tomorrow for the Final Day at Tattershall Castle!!!

25/08/2024

So the planned Tournament today appears to have been taken over by a band of Mercenary Captains who are here to find the best fighters!
So some of the Knights have decided to save themselves for the Grand Tourney tomorrow...
However; some of the Knights, being Mercenary Captains themselves, have stood up and accept the challenge!
The new Entrants, Sir John Chandos of England and the Notorious, the Butcher of Auray, Olivier De Clisson!!

All bets are off today! So come on down to Tattershall Castle for an absolute spectacle! Just don't Boo de Clisson... he has a bit of a temper!! 😤 ⚔️

24/08/2024

Well after a rainy day which saw the Ladies and Knights take to the castle, the Knights decided to postpone the main tournament and have a "warm up".
However; The results are in for the people's favourite for this weekend after we have counted the votes...
The People have chosen for Facebook.................
Sir JOHN HAWKWOOD!!!
Also via Instagram, the people have voted differently.................
Sir LOUIS DE NEVERS!!!

Will one of these 2 chosen Knights emerge victorious tomorrow? Or will one of the other Knights now be hungry? Come along and find out!!

24/08/2024

I awake at dawn to the sound of a horse riding into our camp here at Tattershall Castle.
I pulled back the flaps of my tent to see a tall man atop a horse looking down at me, then around the camp.
"What business have you here Sir?" I asked.
"I have heard my father is here... So I have come to enter the tournament of course"
Stepping off his saddle, the light revealed the towering figure to be none other than...
Louis de Malé!
We have another surprise entrant this weekend! It seems De Malé has gotten word that his father is here and come to "catch up"....
This tournament just got a bit more interesting as there is no love lost between father and son!

Name: Louis de Malé
Born: October 1330
Died: January 1384
Relationship with other Knights: Louis de Nevers (Father)
Fighting Style: Louis uses his great reach to keep other Knights at a safe distance
Favourite Weapon: 2 handed sword: As if he didn't need extra reach, Louis can stop any advance as Knights try to pick through his defences.

You don't want to miss this one! If anyone has read and wishes to change their bets, then leave a LIKE on this post and a COMMENT about this surprise entrant! ⚔️

23/08/2024

Well all of the Knights you have seen assembled have now begun their long journey to the Grand Tournament at Tattershall Castle ready for tomorrow.
They are psyched up and ready to deliver the greatest spectacle there has ever been seen on the Tournament field as each one competes for the greatest prize of all....PRIDE! (and maybe a coin pouch)...

LIKE the photo of the Knight you will be supporting and maybe leave a COMMENT of support for your chosen Knight!⚔

23/08/2024

Name: Henry Bolingbroke (To become King Henry IV)
Born : 1367
Died : 1413
Knighted of the Order of the Garter in 1377 alongside his cousin (King of England) Richard II with whom he had grown up and became friends
Relationship with other knights: his grandfather is Sir Henry Grosmont, a veteran Knight although somewhat wizened these days.
Fighting style: Fast-paced, technical, often overly confident leading to an aggressive approach punching through defence until a strike is landed.
Favourite Weapon: Like many of our Knights, Henry enjoys the Longsword which suits his Fighting style of Fast-paced and technical.

Born at Bolingbroke Castle.
Styled as the Earl of Derby 1377-1397.
Involved in the Lords Appellant revolt in 1388 against Richard, but wasn’t punished. Instead elevated from Earl of derby to Duke of Hereford.
Spent most of 1390 supporting the failing siege of the capital of Lithuania (Vilnius) by Teutonic Knights as well as 80 household Knights.
Exiled from court in 1398 after mishearing a comment about Richard’s rule from Thomas de Mowbray and agreeing to duel but before this could take place the king banished him.
After his father (John of Gaunt) died, Richard prevented Henry from inheriting his titles
There is obviously so much more information on KING Henry IV, however; we have Henry in his earlier years!

So finally, we will have Royalty in our presence as Henry wishes to take part in the tournament at Tattershall Castle. But don't believe any of the other Knights will go easy on him just because of his birth right! Even so, don't be fooled by this Knight's handsome features, he is not one to back down from a challenge!
Leave a LIKE on this post and COMMENT so he remembers you when he claims his title of King of England!
If you wish to swear fealty to him and secure your future as a friend of the Crown, then come along to the Grand Tournament at Tattershall Castle on 24th August and cheer for your future King! ⚔🫅

23/08/2024

Name: Richard Pembridge
Born: circa 1320
Died: 1375
Relationship with other Knights: Being a Knight of the Garter and very close to the Black Prince, it is highly likely Pembridge knew Jean de Grailly.
Potentially may have crossed paths with Gregory Sais who was also a close commander for the Black Prince.
Fighting style : A grizzled veteran fighter, who although no slouch is a little slower now and relies on guile perhaps overmuch. He has good reach and likes to take his opponents legs to weaken them first.
Favourite Weapon: prefers fighting on horseback , but when fighting on foot generally uses hand and a half sword or flail.

First tournament Attended Dunstable 1338/39 and colours worn and recorded on the official roll- Barry of 6 Or and azure with a bend Gules.
Richard joined his father (also Richard) on the Crecy campaign of 1346. His father died during the Christmas period that year whilst besieging Calais.
Sir Richard was a friend to Edward of Woodstock (Black Prince) and fought alongside him during the Poitiers campaign of 1356 and the Navarre campaign.
He was made knight Garter and his stall was directly behind Edward of Woodstock.
Sir Richard held the family castles at Welsh Newton and Tong.
He was also made Warden of the Cinque ports and then warden of Bamburgh castle.
He had one son and a daughter. Sadly his son died when a teenager, but was survived by the daughter who took his title and married a Richard Vernon who then changed his name to Pembridge.

This old dog still has a few tricks up his sleeve and is not to be underestimated! The Knights in attendance will be well aware of the name "Pembridge"!
If the Veteran has won over your support and respect then LIKE this post and leave a COMMENT to boost his morale during his journey to Tattershall Castle on 24th August. If you are in the area, he also would like to meet you in person so come along and show him your loyalty ⚔

22/08/2024

Tomorrow is the last day of travel for the Knights prepping for the Tourney at Tattershall Castle.. So tomorrow we shall learn more about the final 2 Knights in attendance!
They are also a Father and Son team in the society so there may be a "friendly" bit of rivalry 😉

22/08/2024

Name: Guillaume de Clermont
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Relationship with other Knights: Typifying the nobility of France, the Clermont’s of 14th Century France were closely connected to the French Throne. A Clermont was a ransomed prisoner of Henry Grosmont after the battle of Oberche in 1345 but later a Clermont guaranteed Henry Grosmont fair passage and feasted with him as he tourneyed in France.
Fighting Style: Reactive – Although often initiating attacks will happily fight any style be it a toe-to-toe slugging match, or a more open and flowing passage of arms, and adapt accordingly.
Favourite Weapon: Axe - De Clermont is never happier than when using this weapon either shortened to punch hard, or in wide arcs to draw parries and counter strikes.
Also his smile as he uses it is also very off putting to the opposition.

- Apparently Champion of the Queen of France.
- Reported to be one of the Founders of the Order of the Star. The French equivalent of the Order of the Garter.
- Believed to have fought in over 500 tourneys
- leading French armies from the front throughout the Hundred Years war, at Poitiers in 1356 this cost the life of a Marshal Clermont.

- If this example of a Knight of France is someone you would support, then please LIKE and leave a COMMENT on this post and come and show him your loyalty at Tattershall Castle Tournament this weekend from the 24th August!

21/08/2024

Name: Gregory Sais (also known as Desgarry Seys)
Born: Unknown
Died: 1390
Knighted sometime around 1367
Relationship with other Knights: Jean de Grailly (Was among the Black Prince's trusted commanders serving alongside Jean and was present in France during various skirmishes alongside him)
Fighting Style: Built for Speed - Sais is unable to tank other Knights but is able to move quickly to exploit openings and his willpower is unmatched
Favourite Weapon: Longsword - Enjoys using this weapon for it's speed and reach

Gregory Sais is a Knight of Wales. He was born in Flintshire.
The name 'Sais' actually means Englishman. This was adopted due to Gregory's excellent English speech and also that he made his living off the English.
Gregory was a close commander to The Black Prince fighting on the side of England.
Gregory's Squire was the famous Welsh Prince, Owain Glyn Dwr, although during this period he fought for England.
Little is known about his early exploits. in 1360 he was first documented as Captain of Beaumont-le-Vicomte in Maine.
Was a Mercenary Captain causing Havoc across France for the Black Prince.
Captured in 1367 after facing a superior numbered French army, but released soon after when the Black Prince won the main battle at Najera.
Fought in many different small battles across France alongside famous English Knights, including Jean de Grailly.
Held castles and successfully defended them in France including in Gencay for 2 years and Montmorillon.
Ended his military days in commanding and refortifying Pembroke Castle from potential invasion from Owain Llawgoch in 1377 and also becoming the Captain of Berwick to prepare for potential Scottish invasion.
In 1387, his last appointment ended as keeper of Queensborough Castle on the Isle of Sheppey.

Sir Gregory Sais may not be as well known as the the other Knights in attendance, but he will be making the long journey from his homeland to Tattershall Castle on 24th August to make a name for himself! Will he succeed?
If you wish to support this Welsh Knight, leave a LIKE and maybe a COMMENT on this post and come and cheer him on this weekend! ⚔

20/08/2024

Name: Louis de Nevers
Count of Flanders and Nevers (from 1322) and of Rethel (from 1325).
Noble Family: Dampierre
Born: 1304
Died: 26th August 1346
Relationship with other Knights: Louis de Male (Son and future heir)
Fighting Style: Relies on his Dexterity to stay out of trouble and believes the best form of defence is to attack
Ambidextrous. Is capable of dual wielding swords with deadly efficiency
Favourite Weapon: Longsword

Son of Louis Count of Flanders and Joan Countess of Rethel and Grandson of Robert III of Flanders.
Succeeded father as Count in 1322.
In 1320, Louis married Margaret, second daughter of King Philip V of France and Joan II,
Countess of Burgundy, who later inherited her mother’s counties of Burgundy and Artois (1361).
This marriage alliance meant that Louis was loyal to the French crown, which contrasted with many of the textile guilds in Flanders and the general Flemish population, who favored Edward III of England due to England’s cheap supply of wool for their prosperous textile industry.
Consequently, this period of Flemish history is marred by uprisings led by Nicolaas Zannekin and Jacob van Artevelde, in rebellion to Louis' pro-French allegiance and high taxation policies. Eventually these uprisings were suppressed by Louis with the assistance of the Kings of France.
In 1346, Louis had opportunity to reciprocate the loyalty shown by the French monarchy, when the King called for assistance against the invading English. Louis answered this call and fought alongside the King and French nobility at the battle of Crecy in August 1346.
Chroniclers of the time suggest that Louis was involved with the fighting against the Prince of Wales (Black Prince’s) division where he eventually fell in combat. His final resting place remains unknown.

Louis de Nevers is famed for his Accolade "Winner of 100 Tournaments". When he makes the journey to Tattershall Castle on 24th September, he will surely be aiming to make it 101!... But will he succeed?
Give a LIKE to show your support if you are backing this Tournament Veteran!!! ⚔

19/08/2024

Name: Jean de Grailly
Born: Unknown
Died: 1377
Relationship with other Knights: Potentially fought alongside Sir Gregory Sais at the Battle of Poitiers
Fighting Style: Agile - Moves with quick footwork which he uses to his advantage on the tournament field
Favourite Weapon: Longsword - De Grailly is highly skilled with this weapon and combined with his footwork, makes it a deadly choice in his hands.

- Another name used for De Grailly is "The Captal de Buch".
- One of the Founders of the Knights of the Garter.
- The famous Chronicler of the time, Jean Froissart, praised him as the "Ideal of Chivalry".
- Fought for Edward the Black Prince
- Played a decisive role in the victory at The Battle of Poitiers, leading a Cavalry Charge that flanked the French and captured the King of France (John II).
- Became a Mercenary for the King of Navarre
- Captured in 1371 by a French force led by the Welshman, Owain Lawgoch, and imprisoned by the King of France, Charles V.
- Normally would be ransomed, however; The French King thought De Grailly to be too much of a threat and he couldn't be persuaded to join the French. He was imprisoned for the rest of his life.
- It is said, De Grailly was so loyal to Edward The Black Prince, that when Edward died, De Grailly stopped eating in prison and died a few days later.

If this Knight of Gascony is someone you would support, then please LIKE this post and come and show him your loyalty at Tattershall Castle Tournament this weekend from the 24th August! ⚔

17/08/2024

Name: John Hawkwood
Born: 1323
Died: 1394
Knighted after the Battle of Crecy (26th August 1346)
Relationship with other Knights: Jean de Grailly (possibly fought alongside at Poiters)
Albert Sterz (Former Captain of the White Company)
Fighting Style: Adaptable. Hawkwood is able to stand his ground with some knights but can move quickly against others making him an excellent all rounder
Favourite Weapon: The Flail

Sir John Hawkwood was born to a Tanner in Essex.
He would go on to join the army fighting for Edward III.
After the Battle of Poiters, Hawkwood joined the White Company in 1361 and within just 2 years, became Captain in 1363.
He later fought in Italy for and, on some occasions, against the Pope.
Hawkwood stayed in Italy and swept across the country bringing Western Military Tactics to the region. This involved armies consisting of Longbows and Cavalry Charges.

Sir John Hawkwood's next tournament takes him to Tattershall Castle on the 24th August. He will be fighting for the English side so come along and show him your support if you have liked what you have read! ⚔️
Keep watching this space for more of the Knights who will be attending the tournament to fight alongside or against Hawkwood!

16/08/2024

Watch this space as we release profiles of some of our Knights as we prepare to travel to Tattershall Castle on Saturday 24th August to help you decide who your allegiance belongs to!
First release tomorrow... And we start strong!!! 💪

22/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/neV1KEVf8FM6r7TL/

The thrilling tournament of fully armoured knights in battle!Plus horse and warfare, a demonstration of horse and accoutrements, the precision archery displays, graceful dances and accomplished musicians all providing a non-stop tour of medieval life inside Castell Harlech.

30/08/2022

Check out this incredible collection of photos that include images of our first tournament at Tattershall Castle this Bank Holiday weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.479817537483515&type=3

26/08/2022

A great video of Hawkwood and De Grailly battling it out at Bolingbroke castle last weekend.
Come and see us again at Tattershall Castle this Bank Holiday, three days of tournaments, archery, dancing, horsemanship and living history at a superb venue!
See birds of prey in the falconry mews on Sunday and sample the delights of medieval mead all weekend! Looking forward to seeing you there!

Tattershall Castle
Plantagenet medieval archery and combat society
The C**k & Toothpick Mobile Bar

17/08/2022

We are off to Bolingbroke Castle this coming weekend, the birthplace of the man who became King Henry IV!
Come and join us.
Visit Lincolnshire

14/07/2022

And that's a wrap for Tewkesbury Medieval Festival and the Battle of Tewkesbury 550 (+1) anniversary!

05/07/2022

Oh Tewkesbury how we have missed you!
This weekend we will be finally able to take part in the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury, hope to see you there!

05/06/2022

Well Wales, you didn’t disappoint!
Day one we had glorious sunshine, day two torrential rain, and day three gale force winds! As ever, the show went on and we put on three excellent days of performances despite the ‘difficulties’
Castell Harlech / Harlech Castle was a superb venue and all the staff were wonderful throughout.
The visiting public were in great spirits and were truly appreciative.
We hope to return in the very near future, but for now, we hope to see you all soon at one of our next events.

03/06/2022

Well St David…..what happened, just because the Count of Flanders won the Tournament for a second day, you’ve decided to punish us??
We just about made it to the end of the tournament when the Welsh weather gave us a visit.
🙁
Castell Harlech / Harlech Castle

02/06/2022

St David blessed us with excellent weather and even better crowds today at Castell Harlech / Harlech Castle.
Arrows flew, Ladies danced, and swords clashed, all cheered on by an enthusiastic audience,
The Count of Flanders emerged victorious from the first Tournament of the year, but with two more days to go can he hold on to the title?

01/06/2022

With the sun setting on arrival day, we are settling down to an evening around the fire.
It has been far too long since a proper Tournament has been held (due to you know what!) but tomorrow, the walls of the majestic Castell Harlech / Harlech Castle will ring to the sound of combat again. Come and see us if you happen to be in north Wales!
Barmouth Wales
Shell Island
Wales Tourism

24/05/2022

June 2nd - 4th 2022 we are performing at Harlech Castle for CADW.
11am -4pm every day.
Come and see Archery, Dancing, a warhorse close up and a Tourney of knights in combat on foot.
https://cadw.gov.wales/living-history-castle

29/01/2022

Do we dare to dream?? Are we going to have a ‘normal’ year??

We are planning for just that! Our members enjoyed a beautiful January day today at Llanthony Secunda Priory.
Practicing our Archery, Dancing and Fighting skills ready for what will hopefully be a busy year.

26/07/2021

After an 18 month hiatus due to you know what……… WE DID A THING!!

This weekend a small contingent of the society attended the fantastic Battle of Shrewsbury event. Although in its infancy, the event is growing in popularity and we were honoured to be invited.

The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought in 1403 between the rebel forces of Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy and the royalist forces of King Henry IV and the young Prince Henry, who would of course go on to become Henry V of Agincourt fame.

We hope you enjoy some of the photos, we’ve got some great events to come for the rest of the year, so stay tuned for more event information.