Northumbrian Gathering 2004

Date: 2004-03-13, Publication: The Journal

A bloody siege which almost destroyed a towns castle 360 years ago, is to be re-enacted.

Cavaliers and roundheads locked horns in the 20-day bombardment of Morpeth Castle in May 1644, during the English Civil War.

The siege ended when 500 Scottish parliamentarians garrisoned inside the hilltop castle surrendered to royalist forces led by Scottish general James Montrose, leaving the fortress a virtual ruin.

Now the battle for Morpeth Castle is to be played out as part of the annual Northumbrian Gathering, held in the town every April.

More than 100 "soldiers" with the civil war re-enactment group Sealed Knot will re-create battlefield scenes from the siege in front of the castle at the 37th Gathering, to be held on April 16, 17 and 18.

The event - which showcases traditional Northumbrian music, song, dance, crafts, dialect and poetry - is taking the civil war and the siege of Morpeth Castle as its theme this year.

It is hoped the two battle re-enactments, on the Saturday and Sunday, will attract more visitors to the Gathering, which this year has a record 50-plus separate events over its three days. Adding to the civil war theme, Ashington-born champion fiddle player Robin Dunn has been commissioned by Gathering organisers to write a tune and country dance named after the castle siege, which will be premiered at the festival.

Kim Bibby-Wilson, who chairs the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Committee, yesterday said: "Having a theme for the festival helps to promote it and generate interest and the 1644 siege of Morpeth Castle seemed a good idea on the 360th anniversary.

"The Sealed Knot will be staging two battle re-enactments in front of the castle and it should be pretty spectacular and hopefully attract people who perhaps are not so interested in the hard-core Northumbrian element of the Gathering.

"There will also be a small living history encampment of people showing what life was like for civil war soldiers and there will be a 17th Century-style church service and period music."

The Gathering will also feature a costumed pageant in Morpeth town centre on the Saturday and a host of concerts, dances, childrens events, displays, workshops, stalls, races, folk sessions, films, tours, competitions and bell-ringing.

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