HISTORY was brought to life at Kingston Maurward's Regency Weekend.

A period fair, market and costumes and uniforms gave an insight into the world of King George III and the Duke of Wellington, and cooking and food displays gave a taste of the social side of the era.

Visitors witnessed what life in an army camp in the Napoleonic wars would have been like, with re-enactments of military manoeuvres and battles, while the market's trade stand offered Napoleonic battle maps.

Fans of the TV series Sharpe's Rifles could meet actor Jason Salkey, who played Rifleman Harris.

The programme's appreciation society chatted to visitors. Items used in the series were also show.

Fans also saw the Green Jackets of the Rifle Brigade and the Red Coats of the Coldstream Guards carry out a demonstration.

Cavalry displays on horses and mules performed pistol and sword training exercises in the display arena and dance group the Madding Crowd entertained with an audience participation song and dance.

For those who wanted to know the gory details of the Napoleonic wars, a talk was given on the medical practices and plaster-casting of the period.

Event organiser Dave Allen hopes to make the Regency Weekend an annual event after this, its first year.

He said: "We want to hold future shows here, especially as George III visited the site - commenting that the original house had too much red brick.

"Apparently, it was therefore redone in Portland Stone but the king never made it back to see it."