Liz visits Shropshire for medieval Hurley burly

The actress and model donned a full-length green dress, furry bolero and dinky fascinator for the event at Upton Cressett, near Bridgnorth.

Miss Hurley, 49, was a guest of estate owner William Cash, who threw the extravagant party to mark the 30th birthday of his wife Lady Laura Cash.

The event also coincided with celebrations for William's father Sir Bill Cash, recently knighted in the Queen's birthday honours.

Elizabeth Hurley stayed the night in The Thatcher Suite in the Gatehouse at Upton Cressett, where Baroness Thatcher stayed for two nights with Sir Denis Thatcher in 1994.

"I love Upton Cressett as it is so untouched by the industrial age - it is a magical step back in time," said Miss Hurley, who lives near Ledbury in Herefordshire.

The 50 guests were friends of Lady Laura and her family, including the Earl Charles and Countess Vivien Cathcart, Lord Gavin and Lady Harriet Hamilton, and Rupert and Christina Kenyon Slaney.

Earl Cathcart came dressed as a medieval executioner, while others came as musketeers from France and court jesters.

William was dressed as the 17th century poet troubadour, John Cash, whose family sailed to America and whose later ancestor included the late country singer, Johnny Cash.

The party host also revealed his choice of dress was inspired by a recent revelation that he is a distant relation of the singer.

He explained: "Earlier this year we were invited by Johnny Cash's daughter Roseanne Cash to attend a concert at the Barbican in London, to which she had invited all her Cash relations.

"It was wonderful to know we are related to the great Johnny Cash and we are talking about inviting Roseanne Cash to Upton Cressett for a visit, or perhaps even a concert on the moat next year."

One of the guests at the event on Saturday was Henry Dent Brocklhurst, owner of Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where Catherine Parr is buried.

William said he had a particularly authentic costume, adding: "Henry had forgotten to go to a fancy dress store to get a Tudor costume so decided to pay a visit to Sudeley Castle's famous Tudor museum, where he picked out a black felt hat from the 16th century actually belonging to Lord Thomas Seymour, who married Catherine Parr after she was widowed by Henry VIII."

William last week celebrated after controversial plans for wind turbines near his home were withdrawn following a campaign.

He said: "There were many reasons to celebrate on Saturday night. We have been wanting to do an Elizabethan themed party for many years and the news that the wind turbine application that has threatened the historic setting of Upton Cressett had been withdrawn was an extra reason to celebrate this weekend."

Guests included neighbours Mark and Caroline Bullock and Dr Chris Douglas, deputy chairman of the Stop Bridgnorth Wind Farm campaign, and his wife Sara, who also had a party to say farewell to Morville Hall, the National Trust property, where they have lived for many years.

They will be relocating to another National Trust property in Quatt.

Jerwood Prize-winning artist Adam Dant, whose mural work helped the hall obtain Grade I status, visited Upton Cressett to paint the Cressett sea dragon motif on to the new medieval pavilion, which was commissioned by William. "It was essential that we chose a tent that was historically authentic," William said.

"The tent chosen is an exact replica of the sort of field pavilion used by Henry Tudor at Bosworth in 1385."