A DAY of jousting, dancing and medieval merriment this weekend gave hundreds of wide-eyed families a chance to learn more about the region’s rich history and the everyday lives of lords, ladies, knights and peasants.

Hedingham Castle’s jousting show featured performances from musicians, archers and animal trainers, accompanied by craft stalls and displays that showcased a dazzling array of historical re-enactments.

Alistair Mcmillan, the castle’s events manger, said: “A lot of people travel maybe 45 minutes to an hour to get here. The whole thing is a family-friendly environment.

“This is an ancient historical monument. It is over 900 years old. We show people what life would have been like at the time and that’s got historical value.”

Education was laced throughout the day, with jester shows and storytellers stirring the crowds at the keep and the bailey.

Centre-stage were the jousting tournaments and weaponry events performed by the Knights of Royal England.

“We’ve been coming here to Hedingham Castle for a long time and we always get a good crowd,” said Jeremy Richardson, fresh from combat in his Red Knight garb.

“These are the same horses that were used for jousting in mediaeval times. They’re Spanish and the training of them hasn’t changed. They’re intelligent horses, so it helps.”

Among the performers were the Colchester Waits, who can often be heard in Britain’s oldest recorded town with their trumpets, fiddles, sackbutts and gemshorns.

Elizabeth Cannon, who was playing mediaeval bagpipes for the Waites on the day, said: “the kids love the sword fighting. But kids these days never see proper instruments – it’s all electronic. So, this is a real opportunity for kids to see guitars, bagpipes and what we’re playing.”

Despite the looming rain, the day was mostly dry and the venue saw a healthy turnout.

“We had 2,000 visitors at Easter and there are 1,200 to 1,500 today,” said Alisatair. "It does depend on the weather."