Hire Us

Walk through our camp and into the lives of people who existed a millennium ago. With the homely smells of woodsmoke and wool, the rhythmic tapping of the carpenter at work and the shouts of warriors at training, the bright colours of the dyer’s workshop and the chance to handle replica items from the period, history springs into life fascinating old and young alike.

 Our members have dedicated themselves to learning crafts and skills to accurately portray the daily existence of people who have been lost to time. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge with the public and making history real and relevant for the 21st century.

As well as crafts and daily life, our ever popular demonstrations of weapons, war gear and live combat bring home the brutality of the times, albeit in a fun and family friendly manner!

Haestingas has been putting on public displays across Sussex for over two decades and we have a wealth of experience to ensure your event is a great success.

What We Can Offer

Events

Our living history encampment is based upon a number of tented structures where we live, work and display our crafts for the duration of the event.

In addition, we can set up an arena where we will put on a programme of commentated demonstrations of combat and skill at arms during the day.

Talks

We can provide talks and demonstrations for archaeological clubs, scout groups etc.

School visits

Haestingas does not offer school talks, however some of our members provide workshops through other organisations. If you are looking for a Saxon or Viking to bring your history lessons to life, Portals to the Past provide professional workshops for primary and secondary schools.

Have a look at our resources page which includes some good tips on how to create your own costume and Anglo Saxon crafts you can do at home.

Authenticity

We pride ourselves on our reputation as one of the most historically accurate reenactment societies in the UK.

All of our costumes and equipment are extensively researched and recreated to the highest standards based on archaeological and manuscript evidence.

You won’t spot anything modern in our camp during opening hours. Even our fire extinguishers are carefully concealed in red woollen bags. We find this adds to the magic of the experience, helping audiences immerse themselves for a few moments as they pass through our camp.

Logistics

We are generally available during weekends and school holidays, however please get in contact early as we do book up quite quickly.

All we need is a grassy space to pitch our tents, 24hr toilets, a standpipe with drinking water and a supply of firewood.  We will do the rest.

Campfires add considerably to the historic atmosphere, allows us to cook our food and keep us warm in the evenings.  We have constructed specially raised fireboxes to ensure there is no damage to the turf or underlying archaeology.  We have used these in sensitive sites including inside the keep at Corfe Castle, Rochester Castle and Battle Abbey.

We can provide comprehensive risk assessments and have third party liability insurance up to £5 million.

Where have I seen you before?

We are often invited to put on events celebrating local history at village fairs, and parks such as Dunorlan Park in Tonbridge Wells and Bosham Harbour. We have helped to bring artefacts to life at museums and archaeological sites such as Fishbourne Palace, Sussex Archaeology Society, Brighton Museum, Tonbridge Wells Museum and at the Lyminge archaeological dig.

How to book us

Drop us an email if you would like to find out more about what we could do for your event.