Town gets grant to bring past to life (From Cotswold Journal)

Stow gets grant to bring past to life

9:00am Saturday 27th August 2011 in News

STOW is preparing to host an event to celebrate its rich history after it was awarded £5,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Cotswold Festival, organised by a committee of volunteers from the local community, will be held over Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, and will highlight the last Battle of the English Civil War fought at Stow in 1646.

Most of the attractions will be set in the medieval square including a barn dance, history and craft exhibitions, a treasure hunt and more.

Countryfile presenter and farmer Adam Henson will open the festival, which will feature concerts and other attractions in the church.

A number of the Sealed Knot and Colonel John Pickering’s Regiment of Foote will be parading in the square, setting up a living history encampment and staging a re-enactment of the battle each day.

Members of Stow Civic Society will show pictures of Old Stow and the Battlefield Society will be there with information about the original site of the Battle. Many of the town’s residents will be in period dress and the artefacts from the Civil War that belong to the town will be on display.

Sue Jones, secretary to the festival committee, said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable us to stage the event and to enable children, residents and visitors can learn more of the history of our town.

“Meanwhile, the day before the festival begins, people have the chance to bring along items to be inspected by experts as part of an antiques valuation day