Queen Margaret of Anjou's Ride

Queen Margaret of Anjou’s Ride
              Organised by Tewkesbury Medieval Festival Ltd

                      Saturday 10th July 2021
A special ride for experienced horses and riders only

We are very grateful to all the landowners along the route who have given their kind
permission to pass over their property

Advance Online entries only at www.horse-events.co.uk £25.00 + Booking fee

No entry on day . entries close 30th June 2021. The ride is being limited to 100 participants

It is 550 years since the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 , When the Lancastrian Army headed
by Queen Margaret of Anjou (wife of Henry VI) and her son Edward the Prince of Wales
rode and marched their army from Gloucester to Tewkesbury after the city of Gloucester
closed its Gates on the orders of Richard Duke of Gloucester, younger brother to the rival
Yorkist King Edward IV . This was to prevent Margaret crossing the Severn and linking up

with her powerful welsh allies. Now She needed to cross first the Avon at Tewkesbury and
then the Severn at Upton on Severn . After a days march on the 3rd of May she reached
Tewkesbury before the Yorkists caught up on the morning of 4th May and battle took place.
The Prince and the Dukes of Somerset and Devon were slain , the army routed and Margaret
captured, the Lancastrian cause seems lost. The rest as they say is history!

We are commemorating those that fought and died on both sides during this bloody period
of the Wars of the Roses with our ride. We are being joined by some excellent horse re
enactors from all over the UK. We will start in Gloucester, Riding altogether in formation we
will ride through into the city centre and observe a quiet commemorative reconciliation
with the city before riding through the gate streets and over Gloucester cross before a 1.25
mile ride with Marshalls front and rear through the streets until we reach open countryside
and follow the river north through beautiful river meadows to Tewkesbury ending with a
ride over the battlefields and Bloody Meadow before finishing beside Tewkesbury Abbey.

This is a ride for experienced riders and horses only. There will be opportunity for several
scaled cavalry movements up to 20 abreast over 0.25 to 0.5 mile sections. Riders are
expected to be in full control of their mounts at all times.

The ride is about 12-13miles . There are no jumps . You will be riding as a troop and need to
be able to keep up a good pace. You will be riding in Gloucester city centre with stewards
on the ground around you in the pedestrianised areas. There will be marshals on quad bikes
at the front and rear of the ride with first aiders riding pillion. There is a 1.5 mile section of
road that will be ridden along with supervised crossings of a couple of large junctions. After
that point it is nearly continuous country to the half way point. There will be a pause during
the ride at about 6 miles to take on water. Riders will ride on the roads and tracks in pairs (
half section ) or 4 abreast in more open areas ( full section) . At appropriate points which
will be signalled, 4 or 5 sections may ride abreast under the control of a section leader
appointed on the day. And will likely move through all 4 paces before returning to a
controlled walk pace.

Logistics : You will need to be dropped off in Gloucester Drop of point and parking :
Westgate Street car park GL1 2PG W3W ///grapes.wink.tube

 between 9.30 and 11am on Saturday 10th July to check in and get your wristbands for
yourself and any ground crew/ drivers that you bring. You will be mounted and ready to
ride at 11.15 am . Sections will be formed by the marshals and please stay in section until
ready to move off at 11.30 sharp . After you have left the drop off point your transport can
be moved by your support crew up to the finish point at Tewkesbur Pick up point and
parking : Abbey lawn meadow , entry via Gander Lane car park Tewkesbury . W3W
///hats.grasp.resurgent

y.

The ride will take approx 3 hrs . If you need to leave your vehicle in Gloucester and pick up
later, make sure you have someone to look after your horse at the finish and transport back
to Gloucester arranged .

A water trough will be available at the finish . There are plenty of take out food venues
nearby in Tewkesbury.

Health and safety
The organisers of this event have taken reasonable precautions to ensure the health and
safety of everyone present , First aiders will be in attendance. For these measures to be
effective, everyone present must themselves take reasonable precautions to avoid and
prevent accidents occurring and must obey the instructions of the organisers , officials and
marshals.

Rules
1.0 It is a condition of acceptance onto this ride that all riders ensure they have adequate
public liability insurance in place. We may ask to see insurance certificates and will decline
entry to anyone who fails to produce a certificate if asked.

2.0 The Directors , organisers and landowners accept no responsibility for injury from
accidents to persons or animals or theft of property . Persons attending on foot or on
horseback do so entirely at your own risk.

3.0 Any riders dropping out part way through the course should inform a marshal at front
or rear of the ride immediately and also report later to the secretary tent at Tewkesbury
that they have cleared the course

4.0 The route must not be ridden at any other time.

5.0 Additional safety measures to minimise the risk of covid -19 transmission will be in place
on the day , according to those imposed at the time by the govt

6.0 You will be riding in town and city centres . To that end do not bring nervous horses that
may react in traffic or to pedestrians or that get too excited and may get out of control in
or out of company. Do not bring a horse that is likely to kick.

7.0 All dogs brought to this event must be kept on a lead and any mess cleaned up after.

Enquiries : Phil Pembridge 07970804527 ppembridge@aol.com

Answers to most questions are available on our fb page “Queen Margaret of Anjou’s ride “

Entry to this event costs £25.00 plus a non refundable booking fee of £1.45 per horse and
rider . You will need to declare any ground crew/drivers and grooms names and vehicle reg.
so they can be issued wristbands to allow access to both drop off and pick up sites which
will have security on the gates. If the event has to be cancelled at any time then a full
refund less the booking fee and less a further 40p fee charged by horse-events will be
given. Participants may cancel up to the date of 30th June and a refund will be given less the
booking fee . Cancellation after this date no refunds will be given .

Tewkesbury Medieval Festival ltd is a not for profit organisation that puts on the annual
Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, arguably the largest annual battle re-enactment in Europe
with normally over 2300 participants and huge crowds . It is a free to enter festival that has
been taking place in Tewkesbury since the early 80’s . All profits are ploughed back into
the festival . The directors are all volunteers and are not paid for their work. Due to
Covid19 we have been unable to put on the normal event in 2020 and 2021 but hope to be
back in 2022

More details about the ride and the associated limited entry Sunday mounted games can be
found and any questions answered on the Margaret of Anjou’s ride FB page.