Norfolk Heritage Park, Norfolk Park Road, Sheffield S2
10.30am to 5.30pm
Free admission!Living history - re-enactments, battles and skirmishes - entertainments - a huge amount to see and do!
Due
to the success of previous shows,
Sheffield City Council once again invited EventPlan to stage
historical displays as part of the 2007
Sheffield Fayre,
only bigger and better with encampments spread over the picturesque landscape
and superb views of the extremely photogenic main arena. Around 25,000 visitors
flocked to the park over a wonderfully sunny weekend.
Click for Red Zebra's
photos of the event.
Click for frequently asked questions or for a timetable of displays.
The Lion Rampant presented their all day medieval show of archery, song, dance, drama, combat and tourney, a show within a show!
Ongoing living history demonstrations ran concurrently with the above, with visitors taking the opportunity to literally "walk through history", finding out about military and everyday life through the ages and seeing period crafts & cooking. Children also enjoyed (safe) medieval have-a-go archery (a small charge applied).
A variety of
Historical
traders were also present. In
addition to our historical displays, there were the usual crafts, a
horticultural show, children's entertainments and other
activities to enjoy. A
fantastic family day out for visitors, and free too!
Performers
There was a first class line up of performing groups:
Classical Greek: The International Ancient Greek Organisation
Romans: Legio VIII Augusta MGV
Norman: The Household
Medieval: The Lion Rampant and The Knights Hospitalers Association
English Civil
War: The Chester
Living History Group
C18th : New France & Old England with The 47th Regiment of Foot and Richard Rutherford-Moore
Napoleonic: The 51st (2nd Yorkshire, West Riding) Light Infantry
Victorian: The 11th Hussars (in splendid recreated uniforms from the time of the charge of the Light Brigade)
American Civil War: The American Civil War Society
American West: The Arizona Rangers and C Company, 7th US Cavalry
WWI: Croix de Guerre and the 1914-21 Society
WWII: The Northern World War II Association , The Yanks Living History Group, Combined Operations Field company and Wartime Weekenders, with music and song from the Moonlight Serenaders.
What was new this year? Visitors enjoyed a 250th anniversary Last of the Mohicans skirmish set in North
America, between British redcoats and their French and Native American foes
(the latter were often armed with steel trade hatchets made in Sheffield!),
featuring muskets, gunpowder, savage war cries, flashing blades, and female
captives hoping for rescue by the commander of Fort William Henry, Colonel
Munro.
Plus the usual mixture of everyday life through the ages
including cooking, clothing and fashion, encampments and crafts. Added to all
the other activities and displays on offer to visitors at the Fayre,
it was a truly fantastic weekend - and free to enjoy!!
The battles
This year the WWII battles featured an allied Chaffie tank for the
first time, so the German Marder self propelled gun and supporting
Wehrmacht infantrymen had a hard time of it! Both armoured vehicles are
real veterans from WWII. there were explosions, machine gun fire and furious
combat as the Germans attacked!
The biggest battle was our ever popular American Civil War display.
Sweeping, colourful action with cannon, cavalrymen and massed ranks of Union
and Confederate soldiers. There's a close link with Sheffield too as many
weapons made in the city were exported to both sides, and with a staggering
50,000 British volunteers fighting on one side of the other, some of these men
will have come from Sheffield and Yorkshire.
There was a very welcome return after three years for one of Britain's premier
mediaeval societies, the Lion Rampant. They presented an all-day
medieval show - effectively a show with a show - around their colourful
encampment, with music, song, dance, drama, archery, the arming of a knight,
and as the grand finale to the day, ferocious hand-to-hand combat between
knights in real shining armour.
The colourful equestrian display by the superbly uniformed and
mounted 11th hussars was very popular. These superb living
historians represented some of the heroic
British soldiers who took part in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade
at Balaclava, Russia, in 1854.
C17th pikemen, musketeers and camp followers represented combatants
locked in the struggle between Royalists and Parliamentarians in Yorkshire
during the English Civil War with a drill display and living history
encampment.
Children enjoyed (safe) have-a-go archery.
The other highlight definitely not to be missed was our grand parade of
performers through the ages from Romans to WWII, with massed volley of musket
and rifle fire. A minute's silence in honour of British troops currently
engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan - and particularly those lost in action - was
observed by the thousands of onlookers.
Re-enactment groups and other performers interested in taking part in this or our other events are invited to contact us for further details; please click the link for our Standard terms and conditions for participation. Military vehicle owners together with 1940s re-enactors and enthusiasts are particularly warmly invited, although we ask you to register with us in advance. We'll then keep you informed and provide final details nearer the event.
Traders: Please click for further details of trading opportunities at EventPlan shows.
Visiting Norfolk Heritage Park
Norfolk Heritage Park is a pleasant hillside location with lots of trees, slopes, flat areas for encampments, excellent viewing, photogenic arena backdrops and the excellent Centre in the Park with cafe and facilities, yet is within easy reach of the city centre (walk, take the tram or drive). Enquiries: 0114 286 0400.
This year our re-enactments were once again primarily be placed at the lower end of the park, with superb viewing from the grassy bank that overlooks it.
Come and enjoy the show in 2008!!!! Directions to the event
From the North, East or South: M1 Junction 33, then A630/A5/A61S to city centre via Sheffield Parkway.
From the West: A57 to city centre.
From city centre: From the main Park Square roundabout (off Sheffield Parkway) take the A61(S) (Sheaf Street), past the railway station. Bear left, still on the A61(S) into Suffolk Road, then straight over the next roundabout past MacDonalds and up Farm Road. Turn next left into Park Grange Road under the Metro, then immediately left again to continue on Norfolk Park road (if you go up the hill past Park grange Croft Metro station, you have overshot!). The event entrance is on the right. Brown signs are in place but temporary event road signs should also be present. If driving, do not use the normal entrance to the park (on other days) off Guildford avenue - this will be closed to vehicles during the event.
A
brief history of re-enactmentInterested in how and why re-enactment has become so popular in recent years? Click on the link to read a history of re-enactment.
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Updated 2 September 2007