Roman legions, horsemen and archers from all over Europe are heading to Wales for an "authentic" living history event. A full-scale Roman wooden fort is taking shape in the Flintshire countryside.
It will be the base for a nine-day festival showing what was life for the people who lived there.
Hosting the event is Park in the Past (PITP), an 120-acre former sand and gravel quarry near Hope. Last October, organisers finally secured planning consent for the wooden fort and already 15% of it has been built by enthusiasts.
During the festival, from May 27 to June 4, visiting re-enactment groups from across Europe will establish a period military camp at the garrison. There they will assume the daily tasks of a Roman soldier such as combat training, and camp maintenance and building rampart defences.
Project champion Paul Harston believes the festival will become the UK’s premier Roman event, on a par with York’s Jorvik Viking Festival. He told NorthWalesLive: “What’s exciting about this event is the appearance of Roman auxilliaries, the non-citizen mercenaries who were the Empire’s specialised troops.
“They came from both sides of the Black Sea to fight for the Empire. They fought here and died here. There’s a tombstone in a Chester museum for a solder from Dalmatia – he died just 10 miles from the festival site.
“We have re-enactors coming from Hungary, Romania, Spain, France, Germany and Belgium – even from Rome. As they be wearing authentic period clothing, there will be a real mix of cultures during the event, showing how they all worked together to form a diverse fighting force.”
All infantrymen on site will be in full Roman auxiliary or legionnaire attire. During the festival, they will live on site as legitimate historical characters. Visitors will be able to get up close to discover the reality behind Rome’s conquering invaders.
For younger warriors, the programme includes a “kids’ army” formed from Roman army training. There’s also ancient painting exercises, an art exhibition by artist Graham Sumner and a chainsaw creation of a statue of Minerva.
Four corner towers, a pallisade and a toilet block are among the fort’s structures built so far. It was created to gain a greater understanding of how the Roman built their garrisons. Archaeological remains exists but only by constructing a fort will historians fully appreciate the mechanics and challenges involved.
Mr Harston said: “Already, so much has been gleaned from the construction so far, as we’ve had to innovate and solve problems. Most of the materials have been, as then, foraged from our landscape.
“Without evidence to copy, this leaves us imagining ourselves under threat in enemy territory. How they would have solved issues of defence, water, sanitation and drainage, food and cooking? It all adds up to an exceptionally broad set of skills for us to learn.”
During the festival, the wider park at Fagl Lane, Hope (LL12 9HB) will still be open to the general public, including its lake facilities. Activities will be focused on the two weekends of the event, during which daily admission is £8 per adult and £4 per child with concessions at £6.
Parking is included in the entry fee at weekends. In mid-week, standard entry rates for the park apply - £3.50 for adults and £2 for children. More details can be found here.
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