Pokesay Castle - Part 1

As part of ECW wargaming I would like to have a model of a small castle which could be placed under siege; being defended by about 1 regiment of foot at the most and some artillery.

I've chosen to make a model based on Stokesay Castle (Shropshire), it's really a moated manor house. It was garrisoned in the civil war. A picture of the gatehouse.

More pictures are available on line. A plan of the castle:

I've decided to call my castle Pokesay. The model itself will be quite large (18" x 24") or something like that. I'm planning to scratch build all the structures and the walls. The moat will be a challenge to do as well.

I must be nuts !!

40mm Figure Manufacturers

A breif survey of 40/42mm figure manufactures (plus prices on websites that I have looked at mostly UK):

1. 42MM Irregular Miniatures Renaisiance Range - Good range of infantry, cavalry and cannon.; foot £1.25; horse+rider £2.75

2. 40MM Sash and Sabre ECW Range - Good range of infantry, cavalry and cannon
http://www.oldgloryuk.com/ Example - Example price £35 for pack of 20 infantry - £1.75 each. This this range is also availabe at cheaper bag prices from Caliver Books (Partizan Press + Matchlock Minaitures - http://www.caliverbooks.com/) - £27.50 for pack of 20 infantry [don't know if they have different postage rates though]

3. 40MM ROMANOFF MINIATURES (http://www.oldgloryuk.com/) good range of foot figures. £9 for bag of 5 figs.

4. 40mm Drabant Minaitures (http://www.oldgloryuk.com/); WARS OF MOSCOW STATE range;
DM1125; DM1126 Swedish Musketeers early 17C £4 each
DM1111 12pdr cannon early 17C £9 each
DM1117 13 INCH MORTAR £9 each

5. 1:48 (35mm+) Scale Hecker & Goros (Berliner Zinnfiguren website) - possible useable small range of figures. Consist of 30yrs war artillery and odd figures; e.g 2 foot figures 13 Euros. Also a 2 wheel cart with horse and driver - 18 Euros. They do a cannon and also a limber.

New Horse Regiment Mustered

It's taken some time to get these finished ready for painting; I've been swapping in some Sash & Sabre heads on Irregular Miniatures figs; plus replacing pistols withs swords .