The battle of Agincourt

The (battle)field of Agincourt. On the 25th of October 1415, there’s no sign of the forthcoming bloodshed. Is this to be a fatal morning for the French? At the new Azincourt 1415 interpretation centre opened in 2019 (azincourt1415.com), the English and French historians who designed the tour are keen to restore factual accuracy to the history of the battle, dispelling the myths which embellish history on both sides of the Channel. Passing from one room to the next, learn with games, maps, interactive terminals, poems and beautiful explanatory texts featuring kings entangled in family quarrels bleeding the country dry for 116 years, civil wars, and much more. We follow the English army which arrived in Harfleur

to conquer Paris and have Henry V crowned King of France. They were then pushed back to Picardy, where the hungry, exhausted English soldiers were pursued by the French, who tried to corner them in their flight to Calais. It seemed like the French would have easy pickings, but they lacked preparation, and above all, unity. The result was a swift battle in which the flower of French knighthood, committed body and soul, advanced on foot in the face of a shower of arrows fired by efficient and coordinated Welsh archers. Nothing could stop these valiant warriors from going straight to their deaths: “It was a matter of honour. The lord had to fight to protect his fiefdom and his people from the English, who plundered everything in their path,” observes Christophe Gilliot, director of the centre. The French aristocracy was decimated. In the evening, Henry V had the survivors executed – except for the Prince of Orleans, whose ransom was worth his weight in gold. 

“This is the story of the noble French knighthood which had to stop the English army, both to protect the integrity of the kingdom and to avenge the affront of Poitiers. The Welsh archers were changing the rules of the game. Tactics, bravery, commitment ... you’ve got everything” Christophe Gilliot, historian, director of the interpretation centre.

 

This short, fun (and bilingual) tour funnels all the essential facts, which children absorb without even realising it. Rub shoulders with the infantrymen, explore the contents of their knapsacks and discover their victuals, weigh their weapons

and see how well they looked after themselves. Then suddenly, in a circular space a giant screen plunges us into the heart of the battle, a cauldron echoing with the din of halberds and armour. Chaos experienced in virtual reality!

Did the children enjoy this immersive story? Then head for La Coupole planetarium near Saint Omer, about 20 miles from Agincourt, a bunker where films (in English) plunge you into the Second World War and the conquest of space. Open every day.