A Messenger arrives at Pokesay ...

Captain Philip Stanhope has a message from Lord Hopton for Sir William de Willoughy commander of royalist forces in Wiltshire; he has been re-directed to Pokesay after looking for him at Wallingborough.

---oXo---

Capatin Stanhope arrives on the outskirts of Pokesay by the parish church ...

Startled by the sound of musket fire, he looks into an adjoining field and sees some dragoons at practice ..

Arriving in the town square he asks for directions from one of the locals ...

The sentry at the castle gatehouse notices the arrival of a rider and calls the officer on duty ..

Stanhope moves towards the castle, he can see a galloper gun being repaired by the blacksmith ...

He approaches the gatehouse ...

Stanhope: Captain Stanhope with letters for Sir Willaim de Willoughy from Lord Hopton

Officer: please wait here, I'll find Sir William

After a short time Sir William arrives

Sir William: Good Day Captain Stanhope

Stanhope: An honour to meet you Sir William

Sir William: come with me, we'll find some refreshment for you

A regiment of foot undergoes drill outside the castle ...

They have a quick discussion in the hall ..

Sir William: Stanhope, what's the gist of these letters ?

Stanhope: Lord Hopton seeks troops and supplies for the army of the West

Sir William: I think I will be able to provide dragoons and some supplies, come we'll get some lunch and then I'll read the letters and we'll sort out the details ..

The next day Captain Stanhope departs with Colonel Wemys's dragoons and some supplies ..

New regiment of horse completed

My bumper ECW bank holiday weekend continues - another of my new regiments of horse completed for the Roundway down project (one left to go); figures are Sash & Sabre with command from Jacdaw.

Pokesay Castle - home improvements finished ..

After a couple of enjoyable sessions at the modelling desk today the improvements to the courtyard of Pokesay have been completed. New lean-to building, steps up to curtian wall and a new well head (all scratchbuilt from card and foamboard).

The gatehouse has had a little more decorative woodwork added to make it look a bit more like the real one at Stokesay.

Pokesay Castle - Home Improvments ..

Sir William de Willoughby and his wife,

discuss how to best accomodate the newly arrived small garrision

The local craftsmen will be busy for a short while, on the list is:

1. A new well top (replacing the adapted large barrel in use)

2. New steps up to two sides of the curtain walls (avoiding soldiers having to pass through parts of the living area)

3. A new lean-to building to hold supplies for the garrison.

Roundway Down Project (7) - update

I'm just finishing off a regiment of horse and the next one is undercoated; that'll finish the units for the battle. I want to try and work the Roundway down battle into my imaginary ECW campaign in Wiltshire, so there will be some fictional involvement from the forces of either Sir William de Willoughy (Royalist) or Sir Warwick Hunt (Parlliament) 

I recently obtained a copy of Touching History series on ECW,

Lots of good modelling tips, and some good ideas on scenics for the ECW period. I'm currently looking at my Pokesay Castle model to see what improvements can be made.

New - Regiment of Horse

The first of three regiments of horse for my Roundway Down project is finished, two more to go. Figs are Sash & Sabre, with command figs from Jacdaw.