Award Winning Re-Creations at Kentwell

Tudor Re-Creations

Kentwell's Re-Creations started in 1979 with a Re-Creation of Tudor Domestic Life and these are still the most outstanding evocation of the Tudor Age in the UK. The most authentic Tudors in a most authentic Tudor setting.

Kentwell's Tudor Re-Creations offer a unique opportunity for both Schools and the General Public to see how the family in a Great Tudor House might have lived, and how the community in and about the manor supported them. The Re-Creations show people of all levels going about their daily lives in the House's heyday in the 16th Century.

Kentwell has always focused on making its Re-Creations accessible to schoolchildren. The Great Annual Re-Creations by their 30th year in 2008 had then been visited - and hugely enjoyed - by more than half a million schoolchildren.  Schools are encouraged to bring children in costume (for which Kentwell provides visiting schools with easy-to-follow instructions to make). Children thus feel part of the Re-Creation - not mere spectators. 

Awards to Kentwell

Kentwell's Tudor Re-Creations have received several major Awards, not least being the contribution the Re-Creations made to Kentwell being declared Heritage Building of the Year for 2001.

More about Tudor Re-Creations

WWII Re-Creations

Kentwell's WWII Re-Creations are a rare exercise in nostalgia showing how WWII impacted upon civilian life.

Kentwell's WWII Re-Creations started in 1995 partly to mark Kentwell's role during WWII  as a huge transit camp and partly to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of VE Day. That first WWII Re-Creation, 1945 Re-Lived, was huge with over 70 1940s vehicles and hundreds of Participants, representing both the military and civilians. It stretched Kentwell's resources and energies to the very limit. No attempt has been made to repeat the scale of it.

Instead, Kentwell has developed WWII Weekend Re-Creations each year, the main one of which is the Home Guard, 1940s Fete and Tea Dance over the Spring Bank Holiday Weekend.

More about WWII Re-Creations

Victorian Re-Creations 

In December 2009 Kentwell staged a Re-Creation of the Victorian age - a Victorian Christmas. After all, Christmas as most of us recognize it today was created, one might say invented, by the Victorians. Encouraged by this first foray into the period Kentwell returns to that eras for several days before Christmas each year.  What makes it different is that this shows Christmas as it was unblighted by over-bearing commercialism.  

Kentwell's Dickensian Christmas is a regular feature running for the last week just before Christmas each year.  Its designed for adults but enjoyed by children of all ages too.  

There is also a Dickensian Garden Party Fete in summer.

More about Kentwell's Dickensian Re-Creations

Whatever the Period

 Whatever the period, whatever the year, Kentwell's aim is to bring that period, and that year, to life as authentically as possible through the dress, speech, activities, historical events and atmosphere of the time.

List of Re-Creations