Compiling an exhaustive list of every UK re-enactment group is challenging due to their sheer number and diversity. Below is an enhanced selection of notable groups, categorized by historical period, with enriched details on their activities, events, and historical focus. All existing links are retained and supplemented where possible for accuracy.
Prehistoric Britain
Underrepresented in mainstream reenactment, though some local archaeology societies occasionally host experimental archaeology events.
Roman Britain
- Legio Secvnda Avgvsta
- Focus: 1st–2nd century AD Roman military and civilian life.
- Activities: Full-scale military drills, blacksmithing, and leatherworking demonstrations. Known for recreating the siege engine ballista.
- Events: Featured at the Lunt Roman Fort Festival (Coventry).
- Website
- Ermine Street Guard
- Focus: 50–200 AD Roman army reenactments.
- Activities: Authentic legionary drills, cavalry displays, and educational workshops.
- Notable: Reconstructed the Segedunum Fort (Hadrian’s Wall) ceremonies.
- Wikipedia
Anglo-Saxon and Viking Era
- Regia Anglorum
- Focus: 850–1100 AD life, including Viking raids and Saxon resistance.
- Activities: Combat reenactments, textile dyeing, and mead brewing.
- Events: Annual Wychurst festival in Kent, featuring a reconstructed longhall.
- Wikipedia
- The Vikings
- Focus: 793–1066 AD Viking culture.
- Activities: Ship-building displays, saga storytelling, and forging demonstrations.
- Partnerships: Collaborates with Jorvik Viking Centre (York).
- Wikipedia
- Lindcolne Skipfierde
- Focus: Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Norman life (800–1100 AD).
- Activities: Archery, coin minting, and wattle-and-daub construction.
- Website
Norman Conquest
- Historia Normannis
- Focus: 1100–1215 AD Norman and Angevin periods.
- Activities: Cavalry charges, feudal court reenactments, and heraldry workshops.
- Unique: Emphasizes the Norman perspective, including the Battle of Hastings.
- Wikipedia
Medieval Period
- The Medieval Combat Society
- Focus: 12th–15th century chivalric culture.
- Activities: Jousting tournaments, falconry displays, and manuscript illumination.
- Events: Tewkesbury Medieval Festival (largest in Europe).
- Website
- The Medieval Siege Society
- Focus: War of the Roses (1350–1490 AD).
- Activities: Siege engine demos (trebuchets), artillery drills, and camp life.
- Notable: Annual Bosworth Battlefield reenactment.
- Wikipedia
English Civil War
- The Sealed Knot
- Focus: 1642–1651 AD conflicts.
- Activities: Massed pike-and-shot battles, artillery displays.
- Scale: Over 3,000 members; famous for Naseby Battle recreations.
- Wikipedia
- Sir Thomas Lunsford’s Regiment
- Focus: Royalist infantry tactics.
- Activities: Musket firing drills, campfire cooking demos.
- Website
Napoleonic Wars
- The Waterloo Association
- Focus: 1815 Battle of Waterloo.
- Activities: Cavalry charges, infantry square formations.
- Events: Bicentennial reenactments with European groups.
- Website
World War I
- The Manchester Regiment 1914–1918
- Focus: Trench warfare and soldier life.
- Activities: Authentic uniform displays, “Tommy’s Cookhouse” setups.
- Wikipedia
World War II
- East Yorkshire Regiment Living History Association
- Focus: D-Day and Normandy campaigns.
- Activities: Vehicle displays (e.g., Jeeps), field hospital reconstructions.
- Wikipedia
- World War 2 Living History Association
- Focus: Civilian and military life (1939–1945).
- Activities: Air raid drills, ration cooking, and Home Front displays.
- Wikipedia
Multi-period Groups
- Crown and Empire
- Focus: Roman to WWII eras.
- Activities: Themed weekends, school workshops.
- Notable: Participates in Historic Royal Palaces events.
- Wikipedia
- Linstock & Pledget
- Focus: Tudor to Victorian periods.
- Activities: Artillery demos, period dance workshops.
- Wikipedia
For Further Exploration:
Verify event dates via group websites or platforms like Historical Reenactment UK.story societies and associations, you may refer to the Historic UK Reenactors Directory.
Check local listings for Victorian-era groups, such as The Victorian Society or steam fairs.
