Castles

Managed to see two of the castles on my wish list this summer - Haut-Koenigsbourg and Guedelon. Both were fantastic and essentially modern interpretations but I think I and my family found Guedelon the most inspiring and enjoyable. The fact its a living project with a sense of community and activities I think won it  - builders, rope makers etc and plenty of enthusiastic workers ready to explain whats going on.

 Guedelon

  

Haut Koenigsbourg

Koenigsbourg in the mist

 

In addition, we visited the Ecomusee in Alsace - slightly odd name for a collection of historical building rescued  and rebuilt on the site - a plethora of medical houses in very bright colours and a tower from Mulhouse city walls.

 Enjoy the photos.

The Nevilles

As I've said before, Warwick for some reason was why I was first interested in the WoRs - after the Ladybird book, I think Kendall's Warwick the Kingmaker biography of him was the first book I read at Uni, and it wasn't on the syllabus.

So I'm glad to have finally completed these two Yorkist command stands - Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his more battle-hardened  uncle, William Neville, Lord Fauconberg and Earl of Kent. The latter is accompanied by Edward Neville, 1st Baron Bergavenny - the figure pointing with the red cap. Like Fauconberg  another of Ralph Neville's sons and uncle of Warwick. Sources differ as to whether he was at Towton. There also seems to have been bad blood between Warwick and Bergavenny of inheritance.. Stuart on Army Royal has a piece devoted to his grandson, George, the 3rd Lord Bergavenny, with a template for his standard his banner.

 Whilst Warwick was clearly charismatic and an excellent political operator and recruiter, his two uncles had great military experience, during the end of the Hundred Years' War. Facounberg appears to have been a better military commander, and the year after Towton, he was again on Calais, raiding Breton lands. He died the next year, 1463.

Mourner on Richard de Beaauchamps tomb

There is an excellent blog, about writing fiction on the WoRs, which has numerous near contemporary images of Richard Neville, along with the mourner on his father-in-law, Richard de Beauchamp's, tomb at St Mary's Church, Warwick,  Until I read this site I hadn't realised that there were so many, produced within living memory of him.Sadly, I've lost the link but here are the two most common contemporaneous/near contemporaneous ones.

Warwick - Rous Roll

 The figures are as usual a mix of Perrys and Essex with a Front Rank trumpeter.

The figure of Warwick, is conversion of one of Essex Miniatures' best medieval figures - full gothic harness (I have three of them I liked its so much). I added a Perry polearm and a Warlord landskneckt capped head, to substitute for an arming cap.The flags are over paints of the Perry ones.

 

 

 The trumpeter is hand painted - its as good as I could do.

 I think that all the Yorkist bar some mounted figures I have planned for now.

Tewkesbury - The annual trip

A few of my favourite photos from the family visit to Tewkesbury.

And, excuse the pun, a small step to getting my own re-enactor's kit.

Heraldry - The Chirk Castle

A few images from the wonderful a mid-17th Century illustrated manuscript showing the Middleton/Myddleton linage at Chirk Castle.

It doesn't have any bearing on my WoRs project really but I loved  both the range and vitality of the devices and more so the lack of uniformity in the highly detailed, hand drawn devices. Even in the same image, no two representations are the same, and there is a clear desire to make sure the devices fit the space, rather than are a standard size.

Food for thought when painting my heraldry.  More of which soon.

The Scots are here! at last

 This has been a labour of love or a trial, getting to grips with GS, especially once I realised they had no place on my Towton table. Anyway they are done now and back to more familiar territory - comepleting the Earl of Warwick's stand and a Lord Dacre pausing for a drink vignette.

Jean D'Arc

The Jean D'Arc side show continues. An oil painted flat figure. The armour was fun to paint and I'm happy with the end result. The face hasn't come out as well, despite a few attempts.

Now looking another similar piece with plenty of metal to paint.