HISTORY enthusiasts were treated to immersive re-enactment events at Chepstow and Raglan castles on the weekend.

Organised by Cadw as part of its ‘Castles Alive!’ campaign, the historical sites allowed visitors to sample life from long-ago ages.

At Chepstow Castle, a ‘living history’ weekend involved learning how to wield medieval weapons.

At the medieval sword school, young visitors learned the basics of close-range combat.

Archery lessons also showed visitors how to handle bows like the ones that made Welsh archers so feared centuries ago.

Weapons and armour demonstrations were organised by the Knights of Bowlore historical group.

At Raglan Castle, professional groups returned for the fifth edition of the popular Tudor weekend, where visitors could sample what life was like in the age of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Unfortunately, some of the planned activities had to be cancelled because of the heavy rainfall, but visitors were still treated to a performance by historian and television presenter, Lesley Smith, who took on the role of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife

Re-enactments at the Raglan Castle event were performed by the Beaufort Companye and the Wars of the Roses Federation, whose detailed period costumes helped bring the Tudor age back to life.