Celebrate St George in Coventry and beyond this weekend

[dutchman]

Learn about sword skills or meet a dragon - St George's Day celebrations in Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond



Britain's patron saint will be honoured in Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond this weekend.

'St George, will do a walkabout in Broadgate, Coventry city centre with a dragon by his side. There will be performances by the Merrie Noyse Medieval Musicians, dances by the Coventry Morris Men, a Punch and Judy Show, a scout parade and story telling.

The fun starts at 11am and lasts until 3pm on Sunday April 23. It’s all in Broadgate and it’s all free.

Karen Aspin, Events project manager at Coventry City Council said,

“Once again we are proud to celebrate St George's Day with a range of historical acts. This year’s event is aimed at all the family with St George and the Dragon making appearances, old favourites like Punch and Judy, captivating story-telling and Morris dancing. Come along to this free event and celebrate in all the fun!”

Kenilworth Castle is having two whole days of St George’s Day events on Saturday April 22 and Sunday April 23.

There will be an archery display, a spear and shield drill, story telling and a sword skills session. There will be actors dressed up as St George and as the dragon. There will be storytelling and medieval music and dancing.

Children will be also able to have a go at junior jousting.

Entrance to the English Heritage run attraction costs £10.70 for adults and £6.40 for children.

A Tamworth Castle, there will be a medieval living history event inside the castle. In the grounds there will be archery, jousts, street entertainers, a living history camp and children’s activities.

Entry to the grounds is free.

The castle is open from 11.30am. Adult tickets are £7.50, OAPs are £6.50, children aged five and above are £5, children aged two to four are £3, children under two are free.

Little is known about St George. He was born in Cappadocia, which is now Turkey, in the late third century. He was tortured and killed by the Emperor Diocletian for being a Christian and became as early Christian martyr.

The story of him slaying the dragon was first told in the middle ages.

King Edward III made St George England’s patron saint in 1327. England shares him as a patron saint with Portugal, Venice, Beirut, Malta, Ethiopia, Georgia, the Palestinian territories, Serbia and Lithuania.

Stories exist linking St George with Caludon Castle in Coventry, now the remains of a ruin in the city’s Caludon Park.

A remnant of that time is a 14th century sculpture of St George and the Dragon in St John the Baptist Church in Fleet Street, Coventry city centre.

[Melisandre]

I wonder if the dragon was an Aligator as in the Chinese dragon . I found it interesting that Jesus as a child calmed and played with a dragon which has been removed from the bible no I am not religious at all . Also any place that has symbols of a dragon is very important some thing with power like the Masons .

[dutchman]

Dragons were an important part of Saxon mythology, they used to believe that the root ball of Ash trees were the petrified remains of dead dragons. There may have been an Ash tree below Hill Top where a dragon that St George slayed was said to reside in a cave.

[Melisandre]

Dragons were an important part of Saxon mythology, they used to believe that the root ball of Ash trees were the petrified remains of dead dragons. There may have been an Ash tree below Hill Top where a dragon that St George slayed was said to reside in a cave.

Interesting perhaps Coventry should have an emblem of George and the Dragon then.