KEY aspects of every day 17th century living were brought vividly to life at the Castle, Bude, on Sunday.

Visitors were transported back in time as they stepped into the Wardour Garrison living history encampment, where the laws and customs of King Charles I applied.

The costumed interpretation event, organised by the Castle’s heritage development officer, Janine King, to commemorate the Battle of Stratton whilst increasing understanding of the reality of local life during the Civil War, proved engaging and popular with all ages.

In the camp kitchen, Mrs Wright, who had travelled from Bideford with her husband to visit, was astonished to learn that Mares Tails, a modern-day gardener’s nightmare, was a 17th century cook’s dream, as once dried it was invaluable when scouring pots and pans.

As she watched and engaged with the cooks preparing a daisy-water eyewash, she said: “You suddenly realise where plants’ common names come from! Ox-eye daisy, speedwell, eyebright — all refer to their traditional uses and healing properties. They say you’re never too old to learn and I certainly have today.”

Elsewhere, nine-year-old Olivia from Bude was fascinated by the lace-maker’s tent, simply because her granny crochets while other young visitors flocked to the tavern area to learn new skills by playing traditional games and take part in the children’s sword school.

Newly elected mayor of Bude-Stratton, Cllr Peter Moores, expressed his delight.

He said: “There’s always a risk that outside events such as these don’t do as well as they should because of the weather. We have been blessed with sunshine and a steady flow of visitors throughout the day. Our rich, cultural heritage history has been brought to life in an informal, engaging, relevant way. It has been wonderful to see the infectious passion and enthusiasm of the camp members being embraced by our visitors and locals alike.”

The Castle Bude is open daily from 10am until 5pm and entry is free. The planned half term activities and current exhibition programme can be viewed at www.thecastle.org.uk or call 01288 357300 for further information.