Regia Anglorum (A term used by early writers in Latin texts, meaning ''Kingdoms of the English eople'), or simply Regia, is a

Medieval reenactment Medieval reenactment is a form of historical reenactment that focuses on re-enacting European history in the period from the fall of Rome to about the end of the 15th century. The second half of this period is often called the Middle Ages. This m ...

organisation reenacting the life and times of the peoples who lived in and around the Islands of

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

from the time of

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...

Richard the Lionheart Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...

. Its members portray Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman and British living history from the period before the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

. The society has gained in popularity as a result of being featured in prominent television programmes such as '' Michael Wood on Beowulf'', ''

Time Team ''Time Team'' is a British television programme that originally aired on Channel 4 from 16 January 1994 to 7 September 2014. It returned online in 2022 for two episodes released on YouTube. Created by television producer Tim ...

'' and '' A History of Britain. It was founded in 1986 by members formerly of The Norse Film and Pageant Society (which went on to become called ''the Vikings'') and has a large British membership. An

unincorporated association Unincorporated associations are one vehicle for people to cooperate towards a common goal. The range of possible unincorporated associations is nearly limitless, but typical examples are: :* An amateur football team who agree to hire a pitch onc ...

, it claims to be one of the largest

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

re-enactment societies in the world. The organisation comprises a number of local groups, mostly within the United Kingdom. Regia Anglorum is an Associate Sponsor of the British Museum, and is a founder member of the National Association of Re-enactment Societies (NAReS) and The Battlefields Trust.

Reconstruction & experimental archaeology

The Wychurst Project

The most high-profile of Regia Anglorum's activities is the Wychurst Project. On of

freeheld ''Freeheld'' is a 2015 American drama film directed by Peter Sollett and written by Ron Nyswaner. The film stars Julianne Moore, Elliot Page, Michael Shannon, Steve Carell, and Luke Grimes. It is based on the 2007 documentary short film of the ...

land in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, the group built a full-scale replica of a defended manorial

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

and the flooded ring ditch and bank surmounted by 220 metres of palisade enclosing an acre of land. The centre of the burgh sits a Longhall, which at 60' × 30' × 30' (approx 20 × 10 × 10 metres) is by far the largest building of its kind in Britain. The site is used for educational purposes and is open for public visits on special occasions. Regia Anglorum say that the primary purpose of the settlement is to enable the group's members to experience the lifestyle of the period in a more complete way than ever before. The site's name, ''Wychurst'', is an Anglo-Saxon name meaning ''the village in the wood'', is situated in woods near to the

Wildwood Discovery Park Wildwood Discovery Park now known as the Wildwood Trust, is a woodland discovery park in Herne, near Canterbury Kent, England. It features over fifty species of native British animals such as deer, badgers, wild boar, wolves and brown bear. It i ...

from Central

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

near

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

Living history

Living history Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...

encampments are a major feature of most re-enactment societies. A range of tented structures is erected at many Regia Anglorum events, and members demonstrate a variety of crafts and everyday activities in their historical context.

Ships and sailing

Regia Anglorum currently owns seven vessels. The biggest is a 50'-long vessel no longer sea-worthy. Next are three similar hulls measuring 47' by 9' in the beam. Drawing about 3', they are suitable for use on inland waters and at sea in coastal waters. A 35' wooden replica is currently in use and sees constant use by the members for events and filmwork. They also own and operate two 20' smallcraft, one a generic shape for European waters, the other a replica of the Gokstad Faering and that too is in constant use at events throughout the UK in the course of a year. The society's vessels are often used at events and in films on both the big and small screen, including ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

'' and ''

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

''. Viking Ship Hire
Viking Ship Hire

Other activities

Like most large reenactment groups, Regia Anglorum's activities include participation in local and national reenactment and reconstruction events such as the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror, William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godw ...

. A National Training Scheme exists to ensure authenticity and safety at these events. Members of the society frequently appear as extras in film and television, and members have appeared in hundreds of separate works to date, from serious documentaries such as National Geographic's series about the Staffordshire Hoard, Michael Wood's "Beowulf", ''

Blood of the Vikings ''Blood of the Vikings'' was a five-part 2001 BBC Television documentary series that traced the legacy of the Vikings in the British Isles through a genetics survey.1066: The Battle for Middle Earth'' and '' A History of Britain'' six separate appearances on ''

'', the children's programme ''

Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Tel ...

'' on four occasions to adverts and music videos. Regia Anglorum also has a team of horse riders, called The Radfolc.

Infrastructure

The society funds its activities primarily through membership and events fees. It also provides facilities for school visits at many of its events. There are also teams and individuals who provide a school visitor service. Principally, their work mostly takes place in a Primary context under Key Stage 2 - "Invaders" but can also expand on the Battle of Hastings theme at the beginning of

Key Stage 3 Key Stage 3 (commonly abbreviated as KS3) is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14. In Northern Ireland the ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Society Webpage
Historical reenactment groups Medieval reenactment