Knucklas17

Knucklas17 was a family-friendly arts-based festival on Saturday 19 August 2017 with a broad appeal and an underlying Iron Age theme. It was a celebration of the eight successful years enjoyed by the Knucklas Castle Community Land Project since its inception in 2009.

Many people had a fascinating and enjoyable day browsing the stalls, sampling the lovely cakes, cider and beer, and later the music. Many took the opportunity to explore the hill and castle site, where more delicious food was sampled.

Most events happened in the meadow and the community orchard. Throughout the day, the marquee featured music, song, talks, poetry, story-telling and theatre. There was lots of stuff for children: Play Radnor, stories, cave-painting, Iron-Age pot-making, and much more. Local suppliers offered a wide range of wholesome food while, at the bar, you could buy Clun Brewery draught and other beers, wine, Skyborry cider and soft drinks.

The meadow above the allotments was where you could find demonstrations of Iron Age crafts and the Ancient Artefacts Exhibition with replicas of three Iron Age torques, found locally. By the allotments themselves, at their mid-August best, you could enjoy tea and yummy home-made cakes.

The site rises 100m through ancient broad-leaved woodland, home to some very special mysteries. Here, also, you may have come across wandering balladeers.  Then, into the sunlight again and onto the grassy castle mound where centuries ago stood the castle and before that an Iron Age hill fort. Here was found the Camelot Café, a wonderful airy bar, where you could relax, listen to live music and enjoy the views. Camelot? According to legend, at this very spot Arthur married his Guinevere.

This was the programme:

OPENING CEREMONY (with John Kenny & Carnyx)

Guided botanical walk (with Fiona Gomersall Shropshire WLT)

Catuvellauni – Walking story 1

Guided woodland walk (with John Tuer of Severn Tree Trust)

Talk : Bone Zone! (Ric Morris of Shropshire Wildlife Trust)

Catuvellauni – Walking story 2

Talk : Re-wilding (Simon Ayres of Cambrian Wildwood)

Draw for Guinevere Platter & Raffle

Ongoing events

Minstrels : Horse & Cart rides : Exhibition : Pole  Lathe & Shavehorse : Weaving

Play Radnor – children’s activities – Shields : Forts : Stone painting : Garlands : Den building : Waterslide : Making fire

Fran O’Boyle – Story teller

Catuvellauni – Iron Age Crafts -Thumb pots : Drop spindle spinning : Story-telling : Corn grinding : Face–painting.

Cave Painting with Wendy Davies

Poetry Trail : Coracle & Horn Maker : Potter’s Wheel

Treasure Hunt : Raffle : KCCLP Stall : Shropshire WLT Stall : Balladeers

Food & drink

Organic Beef- & Hogget- Burgers : Organic Vegetarian Food : Salads: Felafel : Curry Puffs : Hot Dogs : Tea & Cakes

Camelot Café – Prosecco & finger food

All Day Bar – Local Draught Beers & Cider, Wine, Lager & Soft Drinks

Concert

Our evening concert took place in the large marquee. Performers included: Meg Cox (Poet) : Rapsquillion : Ian Marchant (Stand-up) : Speedgums : Surprise Guest – Dee Palmer

There were two associated events:

“Cave of Forgotten Dreams” –

Werner Herzog‘s unique and unforgettable documentary film takes us on a tour of the world’s earliest known art gallery. In “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” we are lead into an almost inaccessible cave in southern France which contains truly astonishing and wonderful paintings created by our ancestors 30,000 years ago.

“Mouthpiece of the Gods” –

John Kenny’s solo lecture/recital tells the story of the reconstruction of the Carnyx, the iconic Iron Age Celtic instrument, and the evolution of the great family of lip reed (brass) instruments. His talk is generously illustrated on many instruments from the pre-historic onwards.