Charge of the Queen’s Cavalry at Audley End House

Audley End House came up trumps again this afternoon, with a special event whose highlight was eight mounted cavalry charging up and down beside the river.

We reported on a visit we made last year – there’s more than enough to see with the house, formal garden, walled organic kitchen garden, service wing, and stable yards, but with a special event like this taking place you can spend all day there. There were several activities throughout the day today, ranging from listening to a drummer talking about their role in the Victorian army, through hobby horse cavalry drills for children, a ‘firepower display that saw rifles and a big gatling gun being put through their paces, or chatting to the dozen or so redcoats bivouaced in the grounds.

But the highlight was the cavalry, parading up and down at increasing tempo, before taking part in a ‘tent peg’ competition, where the riders had to hit a small wooden peg in the ground with their lances to score points.

And their finale was a full tilt cavalry charge, which had to be seen to be believed. Video follows…