Explore Medieval England at the Royal Armouries this Easter holidays

Keep the whole family entertained this Easter Holidays at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds with an action-packed programme of medieval themed events and activities.

From the 30th March – 14th April the museum will be bringing Medieval England to life with activities for all ages, including sword schools for little knights, have-a-go archery, daily storytelling performances and live combat demonstrations.

On the 6th and 7th April the Armouries’ impressive outdoor arena will be transformed into a battlefield to give visitors an insight into the brutal Wars of the Roses.
The Wars of the Roses were a series of bitter, bloody battles fought in medieval England from 1455 to 1485. This thirty year period of sporadic warfare and constant political intrigue between the House of Lancaster and the House of York tore the kingdom apart.

Over the weekend the arena will become a ‘living museum’ and battlefield as historical interpreters decipher the history of the conflict. Twice a day the arena will become a battlefield for a re-enactment of a medieval skirmish from the Yorkshire battles of Towton and Dinting Dale.

Ahead of the museum’s annual International Jousting Tournament (19th – 22nd April) on the 13th and 14th April visitors can get up close to the action at A Day of Knights and see the knights from Team UK in training. The sessions will take children behind-the-scenes to meet the knights and learn what it takes to be a jousting champion, as well as meeting the real stars of the show – the horses of Atkinson Action Horses. Over the weekend visitors can also purchase tickets to Tournament Training, taking place twice a day in the museum’s outdoor arena.

Sir Gary Verity DL, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said: “We’re so incredibly lucky to have the Royal Armouries right on our doorstep here in Yorkshire, one of seven national museums in the county. The immersive style of their displays and workshops is enough to keep even the most tech obsessed kids engaged.
“With sword schools, archery and live combat demonstrations bringing medieval history fully to life, this Easter is the perfect time to pay a visit”

Mark Jackson, Events & Informal Learning Manager, Royal Armouries added: “Medieval Easter will be great fun for our visitors. Our programme of events will give visitors a real insight into Medieval England, allowing people to get up close to famous battles and learn what it took to be a warrior. We are excited to bring back our sword schools and have-a-go archery, which have proved really popular with families in previous years.

“There will also be the rare opportunity to get behind-the-scenes at the museum and meet real-life knights in shining armour at our ‘Day of Knights’ sessions. The sessions will teach children what it takes to be a tournament professional, from how a knight is armed to how the horses are trained – this is the perfect event for any budding jousting champion!”

For more information about Medieval Easter, visit our website. 

Programme

Medieval Easter / 30th March – 14th April / Free (Some activities may have a small charge)
Wars of the Roses weekend /6th & 7th April / Free (Some activities may have a small charge)
A day of knights / 13th & 14th April / Tickets available through Eventbrite
Tournament training / 13th & 14th April / Tickets available through Eventbrite
International jousting tournament /19th – 22nd April / Tickets available through Eventbrite

Ends……