A fun depiction of a Hampshire village’s history has visited Winchester Great Hall and become knights’ of the Round Table.

Last week the ‘Barton Stacey knights’ moved from the Hampshire Record Office to the Great Hall - once the most important buildings in England.

Barton Stacey Parish Local History Group has created a group of 19 knights modelled out of insulation foam and painted to represent different charities, clubs, churches, schools or businesses from the village.

The knights were created in 2016 to remember the 775th anniversary of King Henry III awarding the Lord of Barton Stacey the right to hold an annual fair.

Barton Stacey Parish Local History Group decided to mark the occasion as the village was originally named after the knight Rogo de Sacy.

The local history group uncovered more than 100 pages of information on Rogo and his son Emery de Sacy and have presented some of this on display boards at the Great Hall.

It turned out that Rogo and his son Emery were knights, but not just ordinary knights. They spent much of their time at court with Richard I, known as The Lionheart; King John, who sealed the Magna Carta; and Henry III.

In their extensive research the group found that Rogo was born before 1189 and lived in the Rouen area of France. Rogo was well know to Richard I and went on the crusades with him. He was one of the 10 knights who was subject to a sneak attack by Saracens and fought them all day long in their underwear.

King Richard was captured for ransom on his way home and Rogo played an important part in his release. It is likely that Rogo was at the battle where Richard was shot with a crossbow and may have been with him when he died 12 days later.

When the throne of England passed to King John in 1199 he granted him land at Bertune, now Barton Stacey, Selborne and a huge tract of land in France.

It is not known whether he ever visited his lands in England but his son Emery inherited these lands and he did visit Bertune Sacy.

By 1215 Emery was a knight like his father and commanded forces for King John and like his father went on the crusades.

In 1239 the king appointed Emery as High Sheriff of the county of Southampton, now Hampshire. He was based at Southampton Castle and was Kings right hand man in the county. He enforced the law, collected taxes and sent it to the Exchequer in London.

Emery was ordered to build a new gate for Winchester Castle in 1240 and by November of that year he was in charge of the castle and paid 40 marks for looking after it.

The King confirmed the charter for the weekly market at Bertune Sacy in 1241 and granted a charter for the annual fair, which is what the history society have been commemorating for the last year.

The 19 Barton Stacey knights along with history boards will be at the Great Hall until April 23. For more information see the website: www.bartonstaceyhistory.co.uk.