History was brought to life as knights battled for honour and chivalry.

Thousands of visitors went to Hedingham Castle over the Bank Holiday weekend to be transported back in time.

The castle provided a spectacular backdrop to heroic knights dressed in shining armour as they recreated the sights and sounds of medieval combat on the jousting field.

For two days the towering keep was host to the Royal Knights of England who provided an exciting history lesson to hordes of on-lookers.

The Knights are one of Europe's premier jousting companies and perform at over 60 shows each year at venues including Warwick and Hever castles.

Curator Simon Daw said: "Apart from the bad weather on Sunday, which made the ground a bit muddy, things went really well and everybody had a good time.

"The jousting was brilliant and the people loved it. When the knights got knocked off their horses, they had sword fights, so people got to see a bit of armed combat as well."

There were also falconry displays and visitors could try their hand at archery.

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