THE VISIT of The Viscus historic re-enactors to Tardebigge was providend with the perfect backdrop – St Bartholomew’s Church – for its camp at the weekend.
The group, which has more than 20 years experience in historical interpretation, portrayed life in Britain during the Roman occupation.
The unique event brought together both Roman and Iron Age British cultures with the group specialising in immersive, research-based re-enactment, recreating the sights, sounds, and skills of 1st and early 2nd century of AD Britain.
‘Bringing history to life’
Over the weekend, members have been training for upcoming public events, practising a range of living history crafts and honing their interpretative techniques, including rehearsals for skirmish displays of Britons versus Romans.
Visitors to the church grounds would have seen the group in their 21st century civvies being Roman soldiers going through shield formations and honing their fighting skills.
Also visible were Britons practising their combat techniques with shield and spear, archery and slingshot practice and rehearsed skirmishes between Britons and Romans.
The drills ensure the displays in upcoming events will be carried out safely and to a high standard to ensure the public enjoys a memorable show.
The group camped overnight in the church hall, experiencing aspects of communal life as they would have in a real settlement although with many of the modern comforts.
A variety of crafts on display
When they were not practising for arena fights, members of The Vicus worked on sharing skills around crafts relevant to the period including costume making, nalbinding, wood whittling, arrow fletching, spinning, and tablet weaving. All of these are presented in the living history camps during events to educate and demonstrate to visitors what life was like in these eras and how they lived.
Some members joined in with the Communion Service in St Bartholemew’s Church, and also later in the morning with a Cafe Church breakfast, sharing their experiences with the local community.
Churchwarden Jane Hall said: “We are thrilled to have welcomed The Vicus to St Bartholomew’s this weekend.
“It has been fascinating to see history come to life in our churchyard and we hope to continue supporting opportunities for immersive learning like this in the future.”
Email: [email protected] or visit: vicusuk.github.io/ for more on The Viscus historical re-enactment group.
