Goodrich Castle is Herefordshire, England is a deserted ruin which dates back to the Normans.  However on the day I went to visit this monument it was far from deserted.  Instead it was noisy and bustling with activity as the English Civil War Society set out to recreat the seige of the castle is 1646.

After my lack of sensible footware in 1998 at Belvoir Castle you would think I would remember to wear sensible shoes - however being scatterbrained at best this did not occur to me until I was walking through a cornfield in sandals.  A tip for anyone going to this particular event is that these are not the most comfortable things to be wearing :-)

The castle was occupied by the families of Marshal, Valence and Talbot but was unoccupied by the 16th century.  However in the 17th century it was brought back into use as a defensive site and was strong enough to withstand the major siege which was re-enacted.

On the re-enactment days you approach the castle through the army of Parliament (the Roundheads) where they are firing on the castle.  In the centre of the picture above you can see one of the working weapons which stands almost as tall as the men beside it.  On the right of the picture you can see the castle where the King's army (the Royalists/Cavaliers) are defending.

On the way around the siegeworks you can visit the camps of the army where men, women and children are working as they would have done over 300 years ago.

When you get to the foot of the hill there are more siege works and the view of the castle is clear on the horizon.

Once you reach the castle you are out of the territory of Parliament and in the heart of the Royalist stronghold.

Within the castle you find even more activity as the Royalist army works to defend the castle.  One of the first places you come across is where the ammunition for the weapons is being crafted in the same way it was during the Civil War.

Even the food is prepared as it would have been in the past - on an open fire.

For those who want to know more about the castle itself there are helpful boards with information on placed around the castle telling the visitor about the building.

The views from the Wall Walk in the castle out over the valley are spectacular and you can clearly see the skirmishes on the fields below.  The two pictures below show the Royalist army about to march out onto the field and the one of the fighting itself.  A pity about the tree but you can clearly see the amount of smoke generated by just a few of the weapons used in the battle.  You have to be there to truly appreciate how loud these guns are.  When hearing them in the castle the sound echoes off of the surrounding hills and throughout the ruins.

After the first skirmish is over it is a Royalist victory (at least for the moment), and a prisoner of war is brought back to reside in the dungeon.

However the oscar performance was definitely from one of the first casualties of the Royalist side.  The man's performance was brilliant - unfortunately I did not manage to get a photo of him.  At first I was too busy watching and then later when we were in the hospital rooms I was too busy keeping my eyes on the live bats that were in residence in the room.

A very informative day and I found that everyone who was part of the English Civil War Society was helpful and friendly.

A most enjoyable day out and luckily the weather kept fine.