Civil War weekend at Chirk Castle
THE Company of Pikemen & Musketeers, in armour and with pikes and muskets, will be entertaining visitors to Chirk Castle on July 20 and 21.
Apart from the colour and pageantry, be prepared for a few loud bangs of musket fire as they demonstrate how an army fought at the time of the Civil War!
The Pikemen & Musketeers are a ceremonial unit of the Honourable Artillery Company (the ‘HAC’), the oldest regiment in the British Army, which traces its origins back to a charter granted by King Henry VIII in 1537. The Pikemen & Musketeers are governed by a Royal Warrant, and tasked with providing a ceremonial bodyguard for the Lord Mayor of the City of London.
This includes escorting his State Coach during the Lord Mayor’s Show each November, providing honour guards for state banquets and dinners at Guildhall, Mansion House and for other occasions in the City.
There is an historic connection with Sir Thomas Myddelton who bought Chirk Castle in 1595 and was Lord Mayor of London in 1613.
The Company will be parading on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 1pm both days. The company will be on site until around 2.30pm, and there will be plenty of opportunity to meet members after the display.
Also present on both days will be Brian Godwin, the National Trust firearms advisor, who will be taking some of Chirk Castle’s historic Civil War musket collection down off the walls to show them to visitors. Brian will be on hand both days to answer questions and share his knowledge.