Bank Holiday fun at Stokesay Castle

Last weekend was a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK. These are usually jam-packed with events of all sorts. Some people enjoy romantic getaways, BBQs with friends (if the weather is good), attend sporting events, go to concerts, and others like to visit historic sites. I fall into the latter category, especially if said historic sites having anything to do with the seventeenth century.

And so my husband, our seven-month-old daughter, and I visited nearby Stokesay Castle here in beautiful Shropshire, England, for their English Civil War event. It was our first family outing on a bank holiday weekend, so we got a little dressed up.

Managed now by English Heritage, Stokesay Castle is located in Craven Arms, in the beautiful county of Shropshire in England. This is called the “gateway to the Welsh Marches” because it’s so close to the Welsh border. For those of you who don’t know about Stokesay, even though it’s got “castle” in its’ name, it’s more of a fortified manor house than a castle and was built in the 1300s for a wealthy merchant. My favourite part is the gatehouse, which was built in the 1640s for William, first Earl of Craven (the one often associated with Elizabeth of Bohemia). I hope to write a full blog post about it at some point, as my husband took many photos of the interior on our first visit a few months ago.

Back to our visit. It was such fun – some of you might have seen my Periscope broadcast there. Unfortunately, the mobile signal is virtually nonexistent in lots of places in this area, so it cut out during the broadcast and I wasn’t able to get it back up.

The event took place on Sunday and Monday and had historical reenactors from the Wardour Garrison. They were excellent, with their historically accurate clothing, accessories, and even food. One young woman was working away on a spinning wheel.

I finally was able to meet author MJ Logue, picture below, whom I’ve known for years online and collaborated with on the Steel & Lace Anthology (along with Anita Seymour, Anna Belfrage, Francine Howarth, Susan Ruth, and Kelli Klampe).

The now-dry moat around the castle was looking particularly beautiful on this day, with loads of wildflowers.

Events such as this one are on quite often all over the country, so keep an eye out for a future event near you. It’s a delightful day out for the entire family!