| Where: | Middleham, North Yorkshire at and near the Castle |
| When: | Weekend in early July |
| Time: | 10 am- 4pm (see Facebook event page link for details) |
Middleham Castle in North Yorkshire was for many years the home of Richard III, and the event staged here each July celebrates the connections of the King and the little town. At the castle itself and in the adjacent field there are living history encampments, demonstrations of medieval crafts and skills,courtly and peasant dances, military talks and displays and of course audiences with the King himself, and Anne his Queen,as well as sales and information stalls for local and national history groups including the Richard III Society. In addition, there are more in-depth talks by historians held over the course of the weekend, and services at St Alkelda’s Church.
Helpful Hints
2025 dates are Saturday 6th & Sunday 6th July (to be confirmed-check the Castle’s Facebook link below for full details). Normal admission charges apply at the Castle. As the programme varies from year to year, check the links below for the up-to-date schedule. Please note that though the talks in Church are free of charge, donations will be gratefully accepted.
The following events were scheduled for 2024:
The Middleham Festival is on Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th July and a programme of guest speakers has been arranged by the Yorkshire Branch of the Richard III Society in St Mary & St Alkelda’s Church by kind permission of Parish Priest Revd. Jeff Payne. Saturday 6th July is the 541st anniversary of the coronation of King Richard III & Queen Anne Neville.
10.00 am The Festival will open with a procession from the Church to the Castle, led by Church Elders to the sound of the Church bells. Medieval re-enactment group ‘Amicorum’ invites the public to experience life in a medieval village within the Castle walls. Musical group ‘Trouvere’ will present medieval music throughout the day. Market stalls within the Castle will be staffed by merchants and both the Richard III Society and the Yorkshire Branch will have stalls. Ricardian authors Alex Marchant, Alice Mitchell and Bridget Beauchamp will also be present.
Saturday 6th July – Illustrated Ricardian Lectures
All lectures are in St Mary & St Alkelda’s Church and each one lasts approx. one hour. There is no pre-booking of seats and entry to all lectures is free but donations to the Church will be much appreciated.
11.00 am “Richard, the Northern King” by Yorkshire Branch Secretary Graham Mitchell in the Church.
1.00 pm “The Princes in the Tower – solving History’s Greatest Cold Case” by Philippa Langley MBE in the Church.
2.00 pm “John Evans, the Missing Princes and the Coldridge Connection” by John Dike, Lead Investigator for The Missing Princes Project Coldridge in the Church.
3.00 pm Questions to all Speakers and Book Signing.
Sunday 7th July – ‘Amicorum’ & ‘Trouvere’ will perform in the Castle with stalls as per Saturday.
10.45 am local Middleham historian Marion Moverley will give a guided informative tour of the town. The tour takes approximately one hour and 15 minutes with a halfway point at the Church so that people can sit down and rest their legs. Marion can accommodate up to 20 on the tour which must be booked in advance through gillian.savage@english-heritage.org.uk.
2.00 pm There is a proposal to perform a read-through of a new dramatic production of “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, adapted for the stage by Kilburg Reedy, in The Key Centre Middleham.
Excelsior Entertainment presents a staged reading presentation of “The Daughter of Time”, a new play by M. Kilburg Reedy, based on the novel by Josephine Tey.
Sunday 7th July 2024 2.00 to 5.00 pm (including interval) at The Key Centre, Park Lane Middleham DL8 4RA
Free admission – to reserve a place go to Eventbrite.com
Josephine Tey’s beloved and best-selling novel comes to the stage for the first time in a riveting adaptation as Inspector Alan Grant, bed-bound in hospital, investigates the alleged crimes of Richard III as a “cold case file.” In his mission to uncover the truth, Grant tangles with two scheming Shakespearean actors, a couple of opinionated nurses, his own sceptical deputy, and a lovesick young American historical researcher, who all help him solve his case — and the mystery of his own heart.
Staged as part of the Middleham Richard III Festival 2024 with the kind support of the Yorkshire Branch of the Richard III Society. Donations to the Yorkshire Branch will be gratefully received on the day.
Click here for the Castle Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middlehamcastle
and web page: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/middleham-castle/
I wish to know what the price will be, for entrance, and if, talks?
Thanks.
Hi Ansine,
So far only the actual dates have been announced with a note that further details will follow later. Keep an eye on the venue’s Facebook page for updates at https://www.facebook.com/middlehamcastle
Best wishes,
Averil
we would love to come to the Richard third festival this year at Middleham Castle and understand it is on 6th and 7th July. Can we buy tickets at the venue or do we have an option of buying tickets before the event. We would be looking for nearby accommodation say 3 or 4 star hotel to make it a special trip for us.
Any information you could send us to help with the arrangements would be greatly appreciated.
We are both in our 80’s. Unfortunately we are not on facebook
Hi Jacky and Mike,
When we went a few years ago you could pay at the Castle gate- but I’d advise contacting the Castle for up-to-date info in case anything has changed. You can get in touch by phone- details on their website give 0196 962 3899 as the contact number.
It’s a long time since I’ve stayed at Middleham (at one of the guest houses just of the Market Place) but you can find information about where to stay at https://www.yorkshire.com/middleham/
There are also some talks organised by the Richard III Society at the church : http://www.richardiiiworcs.co.uk/middlehamposterfestival2024.pdf
So hopefully these links will be helpful- hope you enjoy it!
Best wishes,
Averil
there is no charge for the talks, but please make a donation to the church.