| Where: | Barnet, Herts at the Hadley Highstone Monument on A1000 (Wreath Laying) and at the Barnet Elizabethans Rugby Club (Festival) |
| When: | April 14th (Wreath Laying) & Weekend in June (Festival) |
| Time: | Noon or 3.30 pm wreath-laying ceremony (usually), Medieval Festival 10.30 am -5pm with Battle 4pm. |
The Battle of Barnet was a key event in the Wars of the Roses, in which the forces of the House of Lancaster and Warwick the Kingmaker were defeated by those of Yorkist King Edward IV in 1471, the monarch Warwick had helped to the throne previously but with whom he had quarrelled. Warwick himself was killed along with his brother John Neville on April 14th, leaving King Edward secure on his throne for another decade. Today the fallen of both sides are remembered on the anniversary in a wreath-laying ceremony at the battle monument, and with a minutes’ silence prior to the re-enactment of the Battle at the Medieval Festival. As well as the Battle, the Festival has a range of entertainments over two days including medieval food (available to buy and try), music and dancing, displays of weaponry and tactics, talks by eminent historians and a wide variety of goods for sale and living history demonstrations around the large site. The smoke from the artillery helps to recreate the atmosphere of the foggy day upon which the battle was fought, which added to the confusion on the field and cases of mistaken identity and calls of treachery on the Lancastrian side. Plenty of modern food and drink is available on site (including a Battle of Barnet ale in 2021).
Helpful Hints
The 2024 re-enactment of the battle at Barnet Medieval Festival should have been held on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June but was cancelled due to the wet ground conditions. 2025 date is yet to be announced.
Tickets in 2021 were £5 per adult which was remarkably good value. Click here for details: https://barnetmedievalfestival.wordpress.com
The wreath-latying ceremony at the monument lasts around half-an-hour and is on the actual anniversary of the battle April 14th.
Click here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1471barnet
Hello
Is your medieval festival or similar still going ahead this year please? Sorry we don’t have Facebook so can’t access your page,hence my inquiry.
Much appreciation
Lisa & Helene
Hi Lisa and Helene,
calendarcustoms isn’t connected to the organisation of the Festival, but I’ve absolutely no reason to think that it won’t be going ahead on the 11th and 12th June (though as we all know from bitter experience from the past couple of years, nothing is certain!). I just checked their FB page and there’s nothing new since they announced the date back in November, but I expect it’ll be updated a bit nearer the time with details of how to buy tickets etc. Their website has a contacts form at https://barnetmedievalfestival.org/about-us/ if you need to get in touch with the people who run it and I expect that’ll also be updated nearer the time with a link for tickets & a programme, but the FB page seems to be the best place to get up to date info. We went last year and thoroughly enjoyed it- it was a really interesting day out. Hope that helps!
Averil
Dear Averil,
The 2024 date for the Barnet Medieval Festival will be on Saturday and Sunday June 8th and 9th.
Looking forward to going myself next year!
Thank you Alice- I’ll get that onto the site right away. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it – there’s lots to keep you busy!
Best wishes,
Averil