IF it weren’t for the tannoy you’d think you had stepped 600 years back in time.

The ancient walls of a Hampshire castle were draped in banners this weekend for a medieval spectacular celebrating the blood and glory of the Hundred Years’ War.

More than 1,000 people descended on Bishop’s Waltham Palace for Road to Agincourt, marking the 600th anniversary of King Henry V’s visit on his way to victory over the French.

Wandering bards plucked tunes from the lute, competing with the noise of battle re-enactments, sword-making and open-air theatre.

And locals joined in too – the Gaudete dance troupe learnt medieval steps especially for the weekend.

Organised by 25 local groups and more than 70 volunteers, the festival to aims bring the 12th century palace back into community use.

Tony Kippenberger, chairman of Bishop’s Waltham Town Team, said: “The whole point is that this is a rare palace – there are only 50 of them in the country.

Daily Echo:

“Everyone feels very strongly that it should be used more often and fitted more often into at the heart of what the town does.

“I think a lot of people who brought their kids are learning about what’s in their midst that they wouldn’t otherwise know.

“The whole town has pulled together to put it on, which is great because it links the community with the palace and we all come together.”

Henry V is thought to have spent around 10 days in Bishop’s Waltham Palace in 1415 as he assembled his troops in Hampshire. He would then cross the channel to Harfleur before devastating the French at Agincourt, near Calais.

Festivities, which also included falconry, archery, live music and a medieval banquet, were enhanced by Saturday’s beating sun after difficult early weather.

Daily Echo:

But even a thunderstorm couldn’t ruin Thursday’s curtain-raiser – because it was a performance of The Tempest.

Shakespeare’s depictions of turbulent storms were given another dimension as the Rain or Shine theatre company, true to its word, made the most of the backdrop.

“Everybody just laughed and the actors carried on,” said organiser and parish councillor Robert Shields. “Nobody left. The spirit of it was just superb. Britishness at its best!”