Eastbourne looking back: England's Medieval Festival 2019

Back in March Herstmonceux Castle announced it wouldn’t host the festival anymore after 29 years at the estate.

This is normally held over the bank holiday weekend in August but due to the impact on the estate.

A spokesperson for the estate said: “After much thought we have concluded that the scale of the event and significant impact it has on the estate is no longer compatible with the environmentally sustainable approach being taken on the castle’s 330-acre public estate.

“The covid pandemic has allowed the team at the castle to push ahead with initiatives that are now seeing rare and significant ecosystems and habitats being restored and the large and disruptive nature of the event is very much at odds with this critical work.

“We understand that this decision will be disappointing for some and be assured that it has not been taken lightly. We trust though that the local community and the wider festival community will understand and appreciate the reasons behind this difficult decision for the castle.”

A spokesperson for organiser The Malcolm Group Events Ltd (MGEL) said: “The festival became integral to Sussex life as an annual focus with participants attending each year to celebrate English history on the grounds of a 15th century moated castle with a history dating back to Roman times.”

MGEL said it carried out an ‘extensive search’ to find another venue but nothing was available and it had to cancel the 2022 festival.