What is Scarecrow Sunday?

'Scarecrow Sunday' usually takes place on the first Sunday in August; it is the modern manifestation of the ancient Bron Fair, of which the original Royal Charter for the fair at Brampton Bryan was granted in 1252. It is now the main fund-raising event for the church and other local charities, and regularly draws huge crowds, offering a great day out with fun and interest for all ages.

More info on the Scarecrow Sunday Facebook page

Attractions

Attractions usually include guided tours of the castle, a Scarecrow trail, and in the church, a themed flower festival often aligned with the chosen Scarecrow theme, with organ music played by several organists throughout the day. A variety of other entertainments have included stalls and displays, a dog show, children's sports, vintage cars, a silver band, and rides in a 1904 'Strawberry Cart'. Other churches in the parish, as well as local charities and organizations, are often represented by their own stalls and displays.

Castle tours

One of the few chances to see Brampton Bryan Castle and to hear about its sieges. These popular tours are usually led by Edward Harley and include a history of the castle, the Harley family and the part played in the Civil War. Tickets can be booked on the day.

Food and drink

An all-day barbecue, strawberries & cream, and home-made cakes are provided on the cricket ground with the benefit of seating and marquees to cope with rain or shine, complemented by hot drinks, and of course a bar, whilst listening to Knighton Silver Band.

Dog show

This is a very popular part of Scarecrow Sunday to which an all-encompassing assortment of dogs are welcome. Entries are on the day, and classes are designed to suit all comers. From youngest handler and waggiest tail, through to some entertaining agility. The latter is particularly popular with the crowds of spectators.

Scarecrow trail

Scarecrows are dotted about the village and the cricket pitch. With a new theme every year, many people try their hand at Scarecrow making, resulting in anything from astronauts and ballet dancers to fashion designers and superstars.

Flower festival

The church is bedecked with themed flower arrangements — each one arranged by a different hand. These are always pretty and often witty!

This charitable event usually takes place on a Sunday in late spring when the medieval park is arguably at its most beautiful. Catering for different abilities, there are guided walks of varied lengths which visit areas of the historic park not usually open to the public. The walks include snippets of local and natural history and are followed by homemade cakes and tea in the Parish Hall.

This bi-annual event took place in the village (until 2022) at Aardvark Books; members of the English Civil War Society set up camp and re-enact the Civil War sieges of Brampton Bryan, complete with the arms and costume of the age. Including a detachment of cannons, muskets, pikes and much more, the re-enactors tell the story of the heroic defence of Brampton Bryan Castle by Brilliana Harley and her household, capturing the noise and hurly-burly of the sieges. Attacked by a Royalist force of some 800 men led by Sir William Vavasour, Lady Brilliana Harley bravely defended the castle. A special church service, attended by English Civil War Society members in period costume, marks the occasion.

See a film of the final 2022 re-enactment on the Castle page.

Talk: Searching for the Lost Medieval Church

Searching for the Medieval Church and its 'Lost' Crypts: findings of the Ground Penetrating Radar survey at St Barnabas Church. In May 2022 Caroline Rosen, who led the GPR survey of the church and churchyard, gave a talk on her findings.

A video of this talk will be available to view soon. In the meantime, you can read about the church and its history here.

Talk: What can the church roof tell us? Tree ring dating at St Barnabas Church

As part of the restoration project at St Barnabas Church, an investigation was made into the timbers of the beautiful roof using a science called dendrochronology. There was a talk at the church in March 2022 explaining how the science works, but also revealing some challenging new facts about the roof itself.

Watch the video to find out more.

Read more about the restoration of the church.

Talk: Brampton Bryan Through Time — the Archaeology of a Landscape

In August 2021, Tim Hoverd, the Archaeological Projects Manager for Herefordshire Archaeology, explained how the village of Brampton Bryan had evolved over thousands of years.

Watch the video to find out more.

Talk: A Quiet Estate in the Country? Brampton Bryan Park & Castle

Over recent years, there have been several archaeological investigations into the evolution of the Park at Brampton Bryan, which have shown how it developed over the centuries, and what its economic value was in the past. Tim Hoverd, the Archaeological Projects Manager for Herefordshire Archaeology, gave a fascinating talk in October 2021 about the development of 'this small estate in the country' which revealed the great variety of historic activities which took place in the Park.

Watch the video to find out more.

Talk: Trowel and Error — The Science of Archaeology

Tim Hoverd, the Archaeological Projects Manager for Herefordshire Archaeology, gave another talk in October 2021 on the science behind modern archaeological investigations, and how some of these have been used in Herefordshire and elsewhere.

Watch the video to find out more.

Brilliana: a script-in-hand reading of a new play in development — Friday 23rd September 2022

This event has passed, but a film of the performance will be available here shortly

Mark Finbow, the actor/director who took the role of Captain Priamus Davis in our film 'The Burning of Brampton Bryan', is working with other actors to develop a play about Brilliana's life. It is still in development, and not yet ready for a staged performance, but they have agreed to travel to Brampton Bryan for a unique event on Friday the 23rd September, which will help us to celebrate the completion of the Project.

Starting at 6.30pm, they will undertake a script-in-hand seated read-through of the play in St Barnabas Church. This will be followed by a discussion with the audience; your chance to learn more about the historical events of 1643 and 1644, and quite possibly contribute to the development of the play as it moves toward being ready for full performance!

The evening will end with refreshments at the back of the church after the discussion.

To watch a play which portrays historic events just a few yards from where those real events happened is very special indeed. What makes the read-through even better is that thanks to NLHF funding, the play is completely FREE to the audience!!!

A film of the performance will be available here shortly.