Last updated 11:59, Thursday, 03 July 2008

MUNCASTER Castle turned back the clock to medieval times last weekend.

• View more pictures...

Phoebie Greaves from the Wyvern re-enactment group who were holding demonstrations of what life would have been like for the common folk during the 800th anniversary celebrations at Muncaster Castle

The Pennington family, who live there, opened their doors to the public to let visitors see how things were when the castle was first occupied by the family. Their descendants have been their since 1208.

The castle is unique in England as it has been inhabited by the same family throughout the turbulent early years of the country’s monarchy when castles were taken over when ever a marauding army passed by.

The castle, which looks out over the Eskdale estuary near Ravenglass, has just celebrated its 800th anniversary with a special Medieval weekend of events starting with the unveiling of the family heirloom, The Luck of Muncaster, a glass vessel given to the family by Henry VI, and the cutting of a medieval birthday cake, made by celebrity chef John Crouch from a medieval recipe.

The weekend events also had a medieval re-enactment group, The Wyvern Society, move into the castle grounds and set up camp to live the life of people from the time of the castle’s heyday.

They also gave demonstrations on battle formations.