Living History Village

Visit the Living History Encampment on the lawned area between the Hilton Hotel, Pendigo Lake and the NEC to experience life in AD 60 and 950.

Two different time periods are represented by re-enactment groups. In their camps you can find out more about their past lifestyle. In the Arena there will be demonstrations of weapons and battles.

The Encampment is open from 10:00 am till 5:00 pm each show day, and all events are completely free

Meet the Vikings

Find out more about how the Vikings lived, worked, ate, and gamed a thousand years ago, at our Living History Encampment.
Ardenweard are a Warwickshire-based group of The Vikings re-enactors. Throughout the day, you’ll have the chance to rub shoulders with Vikings in their full attire and try out boardgames from the Dark Ages: such as Hnefatafl and Nine Men’s Morris.
Also, there's some amazing combat displays, weapons demonstrations, and battles - plus a chance for children (aged under 11) to try their hand at combat training and battle Vikings.

The Realities of Adventuring

A light-hearted talk by the Vikings, showing actual items used during the 9th/10th centuries that are often featured in fantasy Role playing games.

Find out interesting facts such as:

• Flint and steel, and how the Vikings used it to make a fire?
• What does an early medieval mirror look like?
• How to set up camp for the night?  
• How would Vikings pick a lock?

These and many other questions are answered.
This is also a great source of informational knowledge for players and GMs who want to add some realism to their fantasy worlds.

Who were the Saxons?

The Saxons were a Germanic people who originated in Northern Germany and Southern Denmark and the Netherlands. The region they came from was referred to as Saxony, and their name is thought to derive from a type of knife they commonly used, known as a "seax".

Made up of three tribes who were called the Angle, Saxon, and Jute tribes. The two largest were the Angle and Saxon, which is how we’ve come to know them as the Anglo-Saxons today.

Re-enactments

For over three decades, Regia Anglorum has been re-creating early medieval history for audiences around the world. We have skilled, properly equipped and highly motivated men and women of all ages who celebrate the very best of life a thousand years ago!

Regia Anglorum was a term used by early English writers to describe the English state, what we would call “Britain” today. In vulgate Latin, Regia Anglorum was a term used to mean, roughly, “The Kingdoms of the English-speaking people”, pronounced with a hard “G”, as in gate. It implies no particular boundary, either geographically or spiritually.

In a twenty-first century context, Regia Anglorum is a nationwide society with many independent local groups, from Scotland to the English Channel. Their goal is to portray all aspects of life; from warriors, striding the place of slaughter, to workers, whose daily tasks were the backbone of early medieval society, we seek to portray all aspects of life in ages past.

Hnefatafl Contest

The Vikings challenge you to a game of wits and cunning!!!!   Hnefatafl is the Ancient Viking board game, similar in appearance to chess but having a totally different strategic rule set. All day you will be able to learn this game, but at 4pm on Saturday the Vikings will be having a championship that anyone can take part in to win a prize. Have you got what it takes to out-wit a Viking?

Just visit the Viking area on Saturday, 2:00 pm to take part.

See the Romans

The Vicus is an historical re-enactment society that portrays the Roman invasion of Britain in the 1st century AD, from the initial invasion of Claudius in 43 AD, though the revolt of Boudica in 60-61 AD to the final battle against Roman rule at Mons Graupius in Scotland in 84 AD.

Visit the the Vicus trading post and military camp to learn about crafts, leather working, wood working, Roman painting, writing, the Roman army and more!
Check out the Arena timetable to witness a skirmish between Romans and Britons, gladiatorial combat and to watch projectile weapons displays including pilum, javelin, and archery.