Armour found in moat goes on display at Whittington Castle - with video
A suit of armour dredged up from a castle moat has finally been put on display.
The armour, found in the waters of Whittington Castle proved to have a strange history when it was taken to the Antiques Roadshow two years ago.
Watch the video here:
Experts from the BBC show dated some of it back as far as 1600 which means it could have been used in the siege of Oswestry. But some proved to be a 19th century copy.
Heritage Lottery Funding has enabled the Whittington Castle Preservation Trust to mount an exhibition of the 17th century armour which was recovered from the castle moat around 1970 and has been donated by the Lloyd family.
Sarah Thursfield a trustee at the castle,
said: "The 10 pieces of armour on display were found in the castle moat in about 1970. We don't know how long they had been there or who put them in. We do know there was Parish Armour stored at the castle in the 1620s. This was for use when the local men were called out to fight with their landlord – the nearest the country had to an army."
The pieces of Whittington armour include a 'back and breast' possibly from 1600, of a pattern worn by a Civil War cavalryman, a helmet with visor, possibly made 1600-1630 and three 'Cuirassier' breastplates with protection for the upper thighs, of the type shown on a Civil War pikeman.
The Whittington Castle display is open Wednesday to Sunday and also bank holiday Mondays from10am-4pm.
