Well, a very jam packed day today! We spent the whole day at the Bosworth Battlefield Centre, from 9.45am to 9.45pm and had a wonderful time learning all about the background to the battle which saw the birth of the Tudor dynasty, learning about weaponry and warfare, and also learning about the various theories on where the battle actually took place.
Highlights of the day included:-
- The Captain’s talk – A fantastic, and rather gory at times, talk and demonstration on the weapons used at the battle and the armies who fought. I now know how to tickle someone’s cauliflower with a pitch fork, i.e. slice their head open and cut into their brain. Don’t mess with me!
- The Falconry Experience – Tim and I have been to many falconry displays but this was different in that we weren’t only taught how birds of prey were used by the Tudors, we were also given the chance to handle the birds: Splat the Harris Hawk and Becky the Buzzard. It was amazing!
- The exhibition – The discovery centre at Bosworth Battlefield has an excellent interactive exhibition on the history of the battle, the characters involved, the weapons and armour used, and archaeological finds.
- The battlefield trail – We didn’t walk the full trail but we did walk up to the top of Ambion Hill to survey the surrounding countryside to see where Richard III, the Stanleys and Henry Tudor (VII) camped prior to the battle, to locate the actual battle site and to see the spring or well which Richard drank from prior to the battle. It is incredible that over 500 years on, we can still see landmarks, e.g. church spires, that would have been seen back in 1485 and that the area is still rolling fields.
- Leanda de Lisle’s talk – After a rather yummy three course evening meal, Leanda de Lisle spoke to us about Lady Jane Grey and shared some new findings with us – more later! – and we all enjoyed hearing Leanda’s views on Jane, her relationship with her husband and parents, her short reign, her fall and her death, which Jane herself saw as martyrdom. A very enlightening talk from someone who has done vast research into Jane’s life.
Wow! It really was a fun-packed and very educational day, and we all enjoyed every minute of it. We’ll sleep well tonight after good food, fresh air and a long, but satisfying, day!
You can enjoy some of our photos from the day at http://www.flickr.com/photos/theanneboleynfiles/sets/72157626745358460/
