{{Short description|British classical reenactment society}} {{Use British English|date=May 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} upright=1.35|thumb|Members of the Guard in 2007

The '''Ermine Street Guard''' is a British classical reenactment and living history society, founded in 1972 by Chris Haines.<ref>{{in lang|de}} [http://www.aalen.de/viii-internationale-roemertage-ermine-street-guard-aus-england-kommt.22054.25.htm VIII. Internationale Römertage: Ermine Street Guard aus England kommt], www.aalen.de, retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref> Its main objective is to study and display weapons, tactics and equipment of the Roman army of the first Century AD.<ref>[http://www.histrenact.co.uk/index.php/roman-groups/item/601-ErmineStreetG Ermine Street Guard, The] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112160419/http://www.histrenact.co.uk/index.php/roman-groups/item/601-ErmineStreetG |date=2017-01-12 }}, www.histrenact.co.uk, retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref><ref name="SP">[https://sussexpast.co.uk/event/ermine-street-guard-2 Ermine Street Guard] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053750/https://sussexpast.co.uk/event/ermine-street-guard-2 |date=2016-03-04 }} website of ''The Sussex Archaeological Society'' retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref><ref>For display and study purposes the Guard also owns some equipment that is authentic to the 2nd Century AD.</ref> It was named after Ermine Street,<ref name="GC">[http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Mean-Monday-Ermine-Street-Guard-march/story-16770655-detail/story.html Mean on Monday: Ermine Street Guard to go on the march again] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072110/http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Mean-Monday-Ermine-Street-Guard-march/story-16770655-detail/story.html |date=2014-10-06 }}, ''Gloucester Citizen'', 27 August 2012.</ref> a major Roman road from London to Lincoln and York.

== History == In 1972, a reenactment group was formed under the name ''Ermine Street Ghosts'', to help fund the restoration of the Witcombe and Bentham village hall.<ref name="GC" /> Initially, clothing and armour was manufactured for an eight men ''contubernium'' and the troop marched and performed for a crowd of 2500.<ref name="ESG">Haines, C. (2007); "[http://www.erminestreetguard.co.uk/History%20of%20the%20Guard.htm A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ERMINE STREET GUARD] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165549/http://www.erminestreetguard.co.uk/History%20of%20the%20Guard.htm |date=2016-03-03 }}", Ermine Street Guard website, retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref> After the fundraiser requests came in for attendances at other events. A society was formed, more people joined and additional equipment was manufactured. Presently the society numbers some 50-60 members,<ref name="GC" /> from all over England and Wales.<ref name="ESG" /> Nearly all of those are men, because no women are allowed to perform male roles for reasons of historical accuracy.<ref name="ESG" /> In 2012 the society raised some £25,000 for the refurbishing of the village hall it was founded to help.<ref name="GC" />

== Authenticity == From the onset it was decided that clothes, weapons and equipment would have to look as historically accurate as possible, though at first the materials used were hardly that.<ref name="ESG" /> Over the years the Guardsmen became more passionate about authenticity and nowadays the Ermine Street Guard is known for a certain perfectionism in this.<ref name="Ermine Street Guard">[http://www.archaeology.co.uk/join-in/re-enactment-groups/ermine-street-guard.htm Ermine Street Guard], www.archaeology.co.uk, retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref><ref name="VK">{{in lang|nl}} [http://www.volkskrant.nl/archief/rare-jongens-die-britten~a919052/ Rare jongens, die Britten], ''de Volkskrant'', retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref> Weapons and equipment are nearly all made by hand, using much the same tools and methods the Romans did, when possible.<ref name="VK" /><ref>In an interview a member recalls the society importing wolf- and bearskins from Canada, things that would nowadays "not pass customs".</ref> Over the years the society has remade much of its armour and equipment because research had proven the old ones not quite authentic.<ref name="VK" /> Consequently the society is frequently asked to pose for, or take part in more serious activities, like research and publications.<ref>An example: pictures in ''Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome'', retrieved through [https://books.google.com/books?id=zGY1Sqjwf8kC&dq=ermine+street+guard&pg=PR10 GoogleBooks], 20 February 2016.</ref>

== Activities and equipment == The Ermine Street Guard gives performances at archaeological or historical sites and events, in museums and in schools.<ref name="SP" /> Guardsmen are occasionally asked to perform in films or other media.<ref name="Ermine Street Guard"/> The society takes part in practical research of Roman methods of manufacturing and operating artillery and other equipment. Scientific understanding of the Roman soldier's body armour, the ''lorica segmentata'' was helped by the activities of the Guard.<ref>[http://archaeology-travel.com/friday-find/archaeology-from-roman-corbridge-comes-alive-at-chesters-roman-fort-with-the-ermine-street-guard/ Archaeology From Roman Corbridge Comes Alive at Chesters Roman Fort with the Ermine Street Guard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302030832/http://archaeology-travel.com/friday-find/archaeology-from-roman-corbridge-comes-alive-at-chesters-roman-fort-with-the-ermine-street-guard/ |date=2016-03-02 }}, archaeology-travel.com, retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref>

The Ermine Street Guard also owns tents, cooking utensils, a ballista, a heavy crane and an onager, all as historically accurate as possible.<ref>An accident involving the onager and the roof of a Woodchester inhabitant was reported upon, with some British humour, by ''The Guardian'' in June 2000. Retrieved [https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2000/jun/15/features11.g23 online], 20 February 2016.</ref>

== Notes and references == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.erminestreetguard.co.uk/}}

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Category:Classical reenactment Category:Historical reenactment groups