VISITORS to Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham, can experience the sights, sounds and smells of battles in the English Civil War this weekend.

Members of the Sealed Knot society will re-enact skirmishes from the campaign and invite people to have a go at being pikemen, while youngsters can dress up in armour.

They will transport visitors back to 1642, when Colonel Sir Richard Shuttleworth ordered 600 men and boys to muster at Gawthorpe Hall to train and face the Royalist army.

Re-enactor Steve Earnshaw, of Sutton Avenue, Burnley, said: "These people were just like us, they had no knowledge of weapons or the army.

"Col Shuttleworth summoned the local people to support him in the defence of Lancashire and they would have lived in the camp with their families."

There will be a living history camp where visitors can see what life was like at Gawthorpe Hall for the soldiers and their families when they were not on the battlefield.

At 1.30pm on both days there will be a full military display followed at 3pm by a large skirmish when the camp will be attacked.

At 4pm there will be a sword display, while archery demonstrations and other events will take place throughout the afternoon.

The camp will be open on Saturday and Sunday from midday until 5pm and Gawthorpe Hall will be open from 1pm.