Old Sarum 21st 22nd July

Old Sarum Tourney Team

Well I am now back down to earth after our first event at Old Sarum in Wiltshire. And what a fantastic way to start a season? 

Firstly the location - Wonderful - Old Sarum is a ruin, but what a ruin. This Norman castle was built on an existing Iron Age Hill Fort, it is some 3000 years old. And by either standing on its highest ramparts or by walking up the roadway into the outer bailey, through the outer ramparts and ditch, you can't be anything then mightily impressed with our ancestors and what they achieved with the simplest of tools. In its heyday this castle would have dominated the landscape and those who lived in it. I always say to folk who ask my why I do what I do, that I get to stay in the coolest places in England and this is certainly one of them.

Secondly the weather - Wonderful - first decent bit of sunshine since the end of May. Caught quite a few of us by surprise as we have got out of the habit of bringing sunblock etc. Nevertheless after the previous weekend's washout at the Festival of History, there were many delighted folk in the sunshine and I don't just mean reenactors and EH Event staff. 

Thirdly, then, - the Tourney - Hotly contested over two days. A terrific start to the series. The host of the event; 'The Earl of Salisbury' brought together some fine knights to fight it out. The day starts with a grand procession led by the musicians Trouvere and the Knight Marshall (the ref) The Earl and his retinue then proceed to the arena, followed lastly by the Knights and squires.

The Knights are presented to the Earl and his people, they then lay down their gauntlets and issue their challenges. The perfect opportunity for the audience of commoners to get a view of their champions. After the gauntlets are recovered the arena is cleared and the Squires take centre stage; as they demonstrate their skill with the longbow.  On Saturday, my squire Innis and squire Ian of Sir Viktor (yellow) tied for the archery prize with Pete Le Hazard (green) then Broad Pete (Red) coming in third and fourth. Pete Le Hazard did not receive the gold coin he had been promised by Sir Adrian if he won. Innis didn't get a beating either. 

Moving on then we get to the first contest between the knights; the Crest Melee. This is a competition of skill, speed and a little luck. (or in my case quite a lot of luck:0) Each knight wears a helm with a dragon crest mounted on it, the aim of the contest is to use a whalebone bastard sword to strike each others crest off. Simple. Saturday's Crest Melee I think took some of our knights by surprise and I walked away with it. The scoring on Saturday was such that each time you took a crest you received a point and by the end of the crest melee I had and unassailable lead (so I thought). The Crest melee is fast and furious, a great spectacle as the audience all know when to cheer. It sometimes leads to fraying tempers and on one occasion the so called chivalry fell away and the Blue knight and the Green brawled instead of duelled.  The Crest melee ends with all four knights fighting at once which can be a huge points scorer, Sir Adrian and Sir Robert neatly dispatched each other I took out Sir Viktor and walked away with four points.

Lessons were learnt by all: Sir Robert and Sir Viktor learned that even if you are technically excellent swinging your sword round your head you are likely to take your own crest off; Sir Adrian learned that you don't need all of that armour for this contest and I learned that I am a jammy so and so, and might not win that easily again this season.

The middle part of the day there is an arming the knight display and clash of steel demonstration where two knights go at eachother with swords, and pollaxes. Viktor and Robert took this duty on both days and were awesome. I won't say much more here but will feature a bit more on the Clash of Steel page.

The Tourney ends with the club melee. It is rather tricky to comment on this one. As I only saw it through the eye slot of my barbute (helmet) The club melee is mayhem. Four knights four squires armed with clubs and large heater shields, pounding on each other until the knight Marshall says you are out. You have to see it to believe it really (So come to a Knights' Tourney)

This is hard, I mean HARD work in this kind of weather. Everyone goes for it, the squires acquitted themselves well. Blows from clubs come raining in, on your head and heater, around your legs and every now and then to the body. Just when you think you are in control, another assailant attacks from behind and you are in all sorts of trouble. You have no idea if you are in or out until a Marshall is shouting in your face, and then you don't always want to accept their decision.

I couldn't tell who came where in this contest, I know that by the end of it I was the clear winner, Huzzah! With my nearest rival, Sir Viktor, being some four points behind. I win I think!

Then the Earl stepped in. To try to appease his commoners he awarded 5 points for 'valour' to Sir Adrian to bring him up to tie with me, which the casting point was then given to the audience. Rather surprisingly they cheered and shouted louder for me and the Earl had no choice but to declare the Knight of the North Victorious! Huzzah God Save the King!

The Green Knight was not prepared to accept this popular vote and then offered me single combat with swords and never one to turn down a challenge we went for it. Now fighting Sir Adrian is a pretty daunting prospect, he is four inches taller than me (at least) and when he starts chopping at you  with a falchion there is little that you can do, somehow, however I came out on top and put the Green hacking machine on his back, and I remained victorious!

Sunday's tourney turned out a little differently.

Squire Innis got me off to an excellent start again by winning the archery outright, Pete Le Hazard for Green was second. So from the start the Green and Blue rivalry continued.

The Crest melee didn't go so well for me today, both Sir Viktor and Sir Adrian defeated me in single combat although I  did fairly well in the final round. Unfortunately Sir Robert did not fair so well on account of his head being the size of a pea and it ratlling around in his helm, which slipped an slid and made his dragon most unstable, he withdrew from the final round, which meant at the end Sir Adrian was in the lead and Sir Viktor and I were tied for second place.

The points system had been tweaked from the day before however, now you only score for winning a bout, of best of three crests; not for each crest so the scores were much closer.

The clash of steel was even better than Saturday, Both Sir Robert and Sir Viktor demonstrating their considerable skill at arms.

The club melee  was a fit up!! I think I was conspired against. It was probably felt that the Blue Knight could not take a series lead and they pretty much pounded on me and Squire Innis. At the end it was a tie Sir Adrian and Sir Viktor a point ahead of me and two ahead of Sir Robert! The Earl, then, in his wisdom awarded Sir Robert the two points to make it a three way tie, I was out of it, curses! Thinking the vote had to go to the Green of the West today, we were staggered that they went for the pretty boy in Red! Well done Sir Robert.

All in all an excellent weekend. Think I would like to do it again. Hang on... I think I will, next week at Battle Abbey in East Sussex. Let the mayhem commence.

Huge thanks to our team of combatants, Living Historians, the Old Sarum staff and public. And my Good Wife Lady Bess, the only one who really made sure we drank enough water in all that heat:0)

Sir Edward

The Action photos were all taken by the very excellent Pat Patrick, thanks for coming Pat:0)