It is the 14th Century and Edward III is King of England leading his army on a campaign across France with his 16 year old son, the Black Prince of Wales.
With a force of over 10,000 archers, foot soldiers and knights, the King is out to reclaim the lands of Normandy and other areas lost to Phillip II of France almost 100 years previously.
Somewhere in the midst of this new and formidable fighting force is a small band of people recruited from the wealthy city of Norwich, and its outlying areas. Soldiers, tradesmen and their associated families march to war. Some in loyalty to the monarchy, others seeking their fortune. You can be one of them.
Based in Norwich with members throughout East Anglia, our group portrays life around the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377AD).
We are re-enactors with a passion for researching and recreating the lives of people in the 14th Century across a broad spectrum of social levels, from peasants to knights and craftsmen to friars.
A family-friendly group, we have members ranging in ages from a year old up to 70, and from all backgrounds including teachers, tradesmen, students, nurses, housewives and professional Living Historians.
The Norwich & Norfolk Medieval Association (NANMA) was founded in 1975. A handful of individuals were interested in various aspects of Medieval English history and wanted to do more than simply read about it.
The association started out by practising unrehearsed foot combat, the first taking place on Mousehold Heath in Norwich.
The initial members had to make their own costume, accessories, weapons and armour and were eventually able to present unrehearsed combat displays between two or more knights to the public. These were watched over by the ladies sitting in a tented gallery. Courtly dance was added and in the early 1990s we embarked on our first living history event.
Since our inception we've helped over two hundred members experience a taste of medieval life. In recent years the association has been supported by Awards For All grants which have enabled the group to assist new members in participating.
If you're looking to have us at your event, NANMA makes for a day out with a difference, suitable for all ages. We are able to provide a number of exciting and educational displays incorporating everyday life and skills as well as combat displays, archery and knights in armour. We are able to offer an opportunity for hands-on participation as well as knowledgeable and friendly members to explain what you see.
Though most of our current work is done as a living history display, we are also able to provide characters and items for educational talks and film / TV work.
If you're looking to join us, NANMA offers a friendly and supportive arena for re-enactment, whatever your interest in history. You don't even have to dress up, though it's one of the best parts! We have craftspeople, scholars, peasants, knights, archers and more, and we're always happy to add to the list. See our "Where to find us" page for our next meeting or come along and meet us at an event; they're all listed on the "Coming events" page. You can also find us on our facebook page.
Club meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of the month. The venue is:
River Garden
36 Yarmouth Rd
Norwich
NR7 0EQ
If you want to come along and see what we get up to, please use the "contact us" link on the left hand side of the page.
You could also come and see us at any of our events. Just use use the "Events" link on the left hand side.
We also have a facebook page for public and members.
If you are interested in portraying someone from the 14th Century, then please use the contact form on this website, or come and speak to us at an event. We're a very friendly bunch so all we ask is you have a willingness to learn and an enthusiasm for history. You don't need to be an expert on the period and you don't even need to own any costume initially as we can lend basic start-up kit.
We don't require any special skills, but if you have any such as woodcarving, calligraphy or any other period skill, then we would welcome the opportunity to incorporate it into our displays.
Your involvement in the activities we provide are only limited by your enthusiasm. We accept anyone of any age, though if you are under 18 a parent or guardian need to accompany you on events.
