Legendary Joust at Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace, located in South East London, was the childhood home of King Henry VIII in 1499. It was later used as a royal nursery for the infant Princess Elizabeth, born on 7th September 1533. It sports sumptuous grounds and ornamental gardens and was famous for its game hunting during the Tudor and Elizabethan periods. In the 1930s’ the property was owned by the Courtauld family, who built a sumptuous Art Deco style mansion and redeveloped the grounds. Today the entire property is owned and managed by English Heritage who have extensively restored much of the estate. It is therefore very fitting that this illustrious venue annually plays host to the Legendary Medieval Joust, during the summer months. Two days of historical pageantry, re-enactments and events for the entire family to enjoy. I last attended in 2015, so it was a welcome pleasure to return again yesterday.
This weekend’s Medieval Joust was an excellent example of the important work that institutions like English Heritage and The National Trust carry out with regard to maintaining British history and culture. It was also one of the most entertaining days out I've had for a long time. The Legendary Medieval Joust features a broad mixture of events ranging from exhibitions of hand to hand combat and falconry, as well as two bouts of exhibition jousting. For those looking for more sedate activities, the musical group Archaedium provides traditional music, and there’s an historically appropriate arts and crafts fair, providing insights into spinning and embroidery. Visitors can purchase a range of traditional food and drink, as well as jewellery and other handicrafts.
Before the first bout of jousting began, each knight held court outside their tent as they donned their armour. They spoke with great knowledge about their harness (A Middle English term, derived from Old French word “harneis”, meaning "military equipment") which weighed 70 lbs plus. They also showed great patience and good humour as they addressed a wealth of questions from the children, who hung on their every word. The joust itself followed the traditional rules and incorporated a lot of the associated pageantry. Being a display tournament the lances had non-lethal tips made from balsa as well as rounded pommels. However, it is still worth considering that each knight is riding a war-horse weighing over a ton, galloping at approximately 25 mph. That kinetic energy has to go somewhere.
Later on in the day there was an excellent exhibition of martial techniques which demonstrated the realities of Mediaeval hand to hand combat. It is a world apart from the stylised approach that the film industry takes and paints a very bleak and brutal picture of how fights were conducted. This also provided an opportunity to see the complexity and respective art of the hand crafted armour and weapons. All of which have all been faithfully recreated from period texts. This was nicely contrasted by the rather elegant and civilised world of falconry. The commentary provided by the lead falconer was both engaging and informative. The birds of prey were captivating as they flew low above the audience. Like so many of the day's activities, there was an opportunity for audience participation. There was also an innovative demonstration involving falconry and a kite.
The Legendary Medieval Joust also offered some great family entertainment in the guise of Tom Fool the Jester. He staged two amusing shows during the course of the day which appealed to both old and young alike. Mixing wordplay and slapstick along with fire eating, he proved a hit with the crowd. Tom Fool also provided his invaluable cheerleading services to the joust, keeping the crowd vocally engaged with the proceedings. It is also worth noting how accessible all the historians, re-enactment groups and entertainers were. All seemed more than happy to answer questions, pose for photographs and provide hands-on demonstrations of their respective arts and crafts. It was also very reassuring to see such an event so well attended, especially by so many families.
Despite occasional bouts of rain, those attending the event remained good humoured and enthusiastic. Again I would like to reiterate how well organised and run this event is by English Heritage. The activities were evenly distributed throughout the course of the day and each one was located in part of the Palace grounds affording the public a clear view. The highlight of the day was the joust itself, which is an incredible feat of horsemanship and martial prowess. It was even more enjoyable as last year’s Legendary Medieval Joust was cancelled twice. First due to excessive heat last summer and then due to the death of the Queen in the autumn. Hopefully, the success of this year’s event at Eltham Palace means that it will continue next summer. It provides not only invaluable historical insight but great entertainment.
Pictures courtesy of Paul King.
