Days in shining armour

PROTECTIVE armour has been essential equipment for soldiers over thousands of years of warfare, particularly before the advent of guns and cannons.

- Stephen Guy

Modern armour includes metal helmets and protective clothing made from various materials designed to stop bullets and shrapnel.

Earlier armour was far more ornate - kings and nobles sometimes wore burnished plating as true knights in shining armour.

Surviving ancient examples show sophisticated manufacturing techniques. For example, a Corinthian helmet dating from the 6th century BC is made from a single hammered bronze plate.

Chain mail was widely used, as can be seen on the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Armoured knights and their ladies were often depicted on tombs in the Middle Ages.

A contemporary brass memorial to Henry Norris of Speke Hall and his wife Clemence can be seen in Childwall parish church.