TAKE A STEP BACK IN TIME

Interest in our ancestors has seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of living history groups and craftspeople recreating bygone activities. And no one brings our nation's heritage back to life better than the National Trust

- Matt Nixson

ONCE the preserve of small groups of military re-enactors, a growing interest in the past has seen a boost in the popularity of living history groups as ordinary Britons spend weekends or holidays dressing and living like their ancestors. As the National Trust prepares to take part in the annual Festival of Archaeology later this month, sites around the country are finding exciting new ways to evoke the past with reenactments, displays and the chance for visitors to try their hand at bygone ways of life. More than 60 Trust properties are taking part in the festival with excavations, displays, walks, talks and storytelling.

LYVEDEN, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

During the English Civil War, few places escaped the turmoil as Parliamentary and Royalist troops clashed in fierce battles. Soldiers, their families, and followers roamed the country, accompanied by a bustling cohort of tradespeople who supported them as part of the baggage train.

Lyveden, owned by the Tresham family until 1649, was sequestered during the Civil War due to the family's Catholic ties. The estate's garden lodge, designed by Thomas Tresham as a testament to his Catholic faith, remained unfinished after his death. More than 400 years later, signs of musket fire left by Parliamentary troops still mark its walls.

A two-day living history celebration featuring Lord Robartes Regiment of Foote, a prominent Parliamentarian regiment during the Civil War - recreated by the Sealed Knot, Europe's largest reenactment society. Visitors will experience the thrill of regimental musket volleys, pike drills, and the vibrant spectacle of drums and colours.