Date March 2016
Roman Raiders at Fort Nelson 28 March – 8 April 2016
Find out what it would have been like for Roman Soldiers this Easter holidays in a
fun packed programme of activities at Fort Nelson.
Fort Nelson’s Roman activities are designed to enlighten and entertain all ages.
Our Centurion will drill the young recruits in shield formations, including the wellknown ‘tortoise’ or testudo using authentic shields.
Visitors can get up close with history at our Celtic and Roman special object
handling sessions, and learn about mechanical artillery before the invention of
gunpowder weapons, plus discover how a catapult works and try their hand at
model catapult building and shooting!
Travel forward in time to experience our powerful artillery in action, the Second
World War 25-pounder gun Howitzer being fired at 1pm every day, then back
again for a demonstration of mechanical, pre-gunpowder artillery at 3pm.
Fort Nelson is a historic monument, rescued from dereliction and carefully
restored. It commands spectacular views over Portsmouth Harbour to the south
and the picturesque Meon Valley to the north. The Royal Armouries museum was
opened in 1984 for the first time, and today is one of the largest artillery museums
in the UK.
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Set within 19 acres and featuring the Ramparts, Parade, eerie tunnels, restored
barracks, museum galleries, and Café 1871, the Fort is an exciting day out
whatever the weather! Fort Nelson will be open from 10am to 5pm during the
Easter holidays (28 March – 8 April) and entry is free.
ROMAN RAIDERS
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Starts at: 10:30am Monday 28 March 2016
Finishes at: 4:00pm Friday 8 April 2016
Location: Fort Nelson
Suitable for: Families
Event type: Children's Activity
ROMAN SHIELD DRILLS & CATAPULTS
Practice Roman shield drills and have a go at building and shooting model
catapults
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Sessions at 11am, 12noon, 2pm, 3.30pm (Monday 28 March – Friday 8 April
2016)
£3.50 per child
Numbers are limited to 16 per session
Pay on the day or pre-book your tickets from 14 March 2016. Telephone 01329
848 532 or visit the Fort Nelson Visitor Centre.
HANDS ON ROMAN & CELTIC HISTORY
Daily, 12.30pm, FREE
DAILY GUN FIRING
Daily, 1pm, FREE
MECHANICAL ARTILLERY DISPLAY
Daily, 3pm, FREE
For more details about the Royal Armouries and the national collection housed at
Fort Nelson, visit www.royalarmouries.org
Ends –
www.twitter.com/fort_nelson
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leeds-United-Kingdom/RoyalArmouries/215812575369?ref=ts
Notes to editors
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Royal Armouries has two other sites at HM Tower of London and in Leeds.
Fort Nelson in Hampshire houses the national collection of big guns and artillery. It
underwent a major refurbishment in 2011, with new galleries and a state-of-theart education centre. The project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
In 2014, it was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.
The Royal Armouries Museum should not be confused with Royal Armouries
International plc, the private sector corporate hospitality business based on the
same site in Leeds.
For further media enquiries and photo opportunities at Fort Nelson, please
contact Caroline Chapman (Communications Officer).
Communications March 2016