Home Newsletter Locations Diary

 Indexes

Roman Britain Section Roman Britain Index

Article

Re-enactments of Roman Britain

Each year there are many displays and re-enactments involving people in the dress and carrying out drill and other actions we think were performed by the Romans when in Britain. These vary from the large multi period events such as the annual English Heritage Festival of History event, complete with large battle scenes, through displays and performances by individual groups down to the practice sessions for these groups.

Click on image to see larger versions

Of the Roman groups the Ermine Street Guard is the oldest and best known. However other groups are also very interesting. Take for example, Legio II Augusta, this group puts on a good show, displaying authentic looking roman soldiers with shields swords and all, performing their drill, but also explaining  each part of their costume and equipment. With them at a recent event, they had a surgeon, doctor with a small hospital explaining how Roman battle damage was treated, a midwife showing her tools and explaining practices, a period cooks hut fully working and feeding them. A table with toys and other items from the period, had grinding of corn, and a leather tent as would be used by the military in the field complete with all equipment. To go with this in addition to the legion in their military gear there were a variety of other costumed characters including children and slaves. All acted in character and were able to answer questions. The reproduction tools and other items they had were very impressive.

Below we have listed all the groups we are aware of, and their websites. If you check their websites you will find programmes showing what they have planned. In addition to performing public events they are all involved in acting out scenes for TV and in movies. Some of these links will take you to other groups outside the UK.

Below these you will find some wider links to re-enactments and some organisations that re-enactment groups belong to, and below that websites listed for those who supply information, costumes, props and more.....

Please let us know if you are aware of others we have missed.


Re-enactment Organisations

Ermine Street Guard
Oakland Farm, Dog Lane
Crickley Hill, Witcombe
Gloucestershire, GL53 4UG
United Kingdom
theesg@aol.com
http://www.erminestreetguard.co.uk/index.html

Ludus Gladiatoria        (Gladiators)
Graham Ashford
Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Phone: 01329 232912
ashfordians@btinternet.com
www.ludus.org.uk

Legio II Augusta
David Richardson
61 Totland Rd.
Portsmouth PO6 3HS
United Kingdom
Ph: 01705 369970
legiiavg@cwcom.net
http://www.legiiavg.org.uk

Legio VIII Augusta
Wales, UK
robin.brown5@virgin.net
http://www.geocities.com/legionviiiaugusta/LegioVIII.html

Legio XIIII Gemina Martia Victrix 
(Coh.I Batavorum, & Roman Military Research Society)

Mark Olejnik,
Recruiting Officer, RMRS,
23, Gilbert Scott Court,
Towcester, Northants.
NN12 6DX, United Kingdom
Suavis@nationwideisp.net
http://www.romanarmy.net/   
 
Links page http://www.romanarmy.net/links.htm

Legio XIIII Gemina
75 Birdie Way
Hertford, Hertfordshire
SG13 7SY England
01992 552223
marcus@legion-fourteen.com
http://www.legion-fourteen.com/

Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland 
Martin McAree
27 Dundanion Road
Beaumont, Cork, Ireland
info@romanarmy.ie
www.romanarmy.ie

The Antonine Guard
(Leg. VI Victrix, Roman Research Society)
29 Letham Rise
St. Davids Bay  Fife
Scotland  UK  KY11 5FW
theantonineguard @ theantonineguard.org.ok
http://www.theantonineguard.org.uk/

Colchester Roman Society
(Coh. I Varduli)
Grahame A. Appleby
8 Crowhurst Court
Crowhurst Road
Colchester  UK
CO3 3JN
grahame.a@virgin.net
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~grayb/

Quinta (Cohors Quinta Gallorum)
Arbeia Roman Fort
Baring Street
South Shields
Tyne and Wear, GL3 4UG
United Kingdom
http://www.quintagallorum.co.uk/

Milites Litoris Saxoni      (may no longer exist)
John Harris
82 London Road
Faversham, Kent, ME13 8TA
United Kingdom

The North Guard
Eddie Barrass
8 Leechmere Way, Ryhope
Sunderland, Wear Side.  SR2 0DH
United Kingdom
0191-523-6377

http://www.northguard.freeservers.com/

Red Shanks (Late Roman Britain)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/personal/cs1jwh/red-shanks/index.html

Roman tours http://www.romantoursuk.com/

Vicus - Romans and Britons  http://www.vicus.org.uk/


Wider information on Re-enactment Groups

http://www.romanempire.net/romepage/Links/roman_reenactment_groups.htm#Foreign-Based%20Reenactment%20Units%20and%20Other%20Groups

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_reenactment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_reenactment  (has a number of external links as well)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Historical_reenactment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ancient_reenactment_groups

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_historical_reenactment_groups

Overall Organisations


Resources for those involved in Re-enactments

The book of Roman Arms and Armour http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/arma/

Military Resources http://intranet.dalton.org/groups/Rome/RMil.html

Roman Military Diplomas http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryDiploma.html

Glossary  http://www.roman-britain.org/glossary_m.htm

Roman Army site http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/

Roman Resources including Kit http://www.romanempire.net/romepage/Links/classical_roman_resource_centers.htm

 

 

This page:

Link directly to this page, with text or the button on right.

Text linking: Re-enactments of Roman Britain on Photographers Resource

Linking Instructions                            http://www.photographers-resource.co.uk/

Photographers Resource, all the information for the photographer