UK's largest Medieval Festival recreates royal Richard's world
The Yorkshire Medieval Festival 2014, 1 – 31 August
The stories and legends of the infamous King Richard III will be centre stage for this year’s Yorkshire Medieval Festival, the longest and liveliest celebration of the Middle Ages in the UK taking place at venues around Yorkshire throughout August.
“We imagine that Richard’s world was brutal and volatile,” says festival director Danielle Daglan, “but in fact during his lifetime, English culture came of age - the world’s greatest Arthurian epic, Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, was written, and Caxton’s printing press became a world-changing innovation. One of York’s greatest treasures, York Minster’s Great East Window was built in this period, and the Guilds rose to prominence, giving power to Yorkshire people as never before. It was also a Golden Age of chivalry, and displays of knightly prowess were hugely fashionable.”
This vibrant and violent world is recreated in a lively programme of talks and tours during the Yorkshire Medieval Festival, organised by The JORVIK Group with guest contributions from the Richard III Society, University of York and local churches. The events explore the very latest insights on the Middleham Jewel, the burial of Richard’s children, and the power of propaganda. Opening on 2 August, ‘Colours of Conflict’, a special exhibition on the Wars of the Roses at the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, also reveals hidden stories about the people who lived through these times.
The jewels in the festival crown, however, are the newly-opened Richard III Experience at Monk Bar, and the Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar along the city’s historic walls, two landmarks that would have been familiar to Richard III when he visited York during his lifetime. The new visitor attractions explore the impact and legacy of Richard’s reign, the struggles for power and tragedy of conflict, and also the lives of the people who lived in medieval York. Barley Hall -a medieval townhouse which was home to a wealthy merchant, who welcomed Richard III and Henry VII to the city during the late 15th Century -also makes a fascinating visit, and is the venue for many events during the Yorkshire Medieval Festival. Discounted entry to all three attractions, and also the JORVIK Viking Centre and DIG, can be gained through a special JORVIK Group Pastport available during the Festival.
The Yorkshire Medieval Festival 2014 kicks off in Rowntree Park, York on 2-3 August with Medieval Merriment, an extravaganza of knightly combat, living history, and merry medieval mayhem. The full 4-week festival brings together medieval-themed events, activities, talks and tours at various locations in York and Yorkshire, including Pontefract and Knaresborough, celebrating the 500-year period from the Norman invasion until the demise of Richard III and the start of the Tudor era.
A full listing is available on www.yorkshire-medieval-festival.com.
ENDS
For further media information or photographs please contact:
Nicola Bexon, Samantha Orange or Jay Commins
Pyper York Limited
Tel: 01904 500698
Email: nicola@pyperyork.co.uk; sam@pyperyork.co.uk; jay@pyperyork.co.uk
