This summer, Pendennis Castle opens its doors to a host of medieval knights. We meet Lady Isabella Holland – a tenacious and talented fighter attending this year’s Knights’ Tournament.

Tell us a bit about your character and her backstory?

My character’s name is Isabella Holland. I will be fighting at the Pendennis Castle Knights’ Tournament this summer, representing the South.

The Holland family were one of contradiction. On one hand, they were heavily involved in the founding of the Knights of the Garter – seen as the pinnacles of chivalry. They were also fiercely loyal, fighting on the Lancastrian side of the War of the Roses.

But on the other hand, there was the 'bad gene' running through the family. They could be short tempered and vicious – murdering a knight and plotting regicide. It is said that Joan Holland 'died of shame' at her son's shenanigans. 

So, all that in mind, I tried to give Isabella the best of both worlds. She can be chivalrous and loyal given the right circumstances; however, she has not come to play – so don't get in her way if you upset her!

How did you become a knight?

I've been a performer for a long time and loved any kind of physical theatre, so when I did my first stage combat course I was hooked. I went on to do a few courses over the years and it was always something I was keen to do more of.

After the pandemic, work eventually brought me to the Midlands where I met the Warwick Warriors and it just snowballed from there!

I got to fight as a knight for the first time in October, which is outside of tournament season, and whilst I had done stage combat before this was a different beast. I just got stuck in and enjoyed it, so when they asked me to be their first female knight in an English Heritage foot combat tournament, I was absolutely thrilled. 

What's your favourite part about being a knight?

For me, it has to be the people – both the team surrounding me and the audience.

There is a lot of trust in my team. We're all passionate about what we do and we really look after each other, which is so important in a job that can be high risk. I feel really privileged to be a part of a team of people who have a great laugh together, who care deeply about the work, are willing to share knowledge, help you to know when to push forward or if you need to take a step back and look after yourself. 

And the way the audience engage is amazing. In some of the events you can hear a pin drop, so when you hear people explode with excitement when something good happens or groan when someone just misses a hit, it feels electric. The fact that we get to chat to the public between rounds at camp is so grounding. Whether they are there out of curiosity or to congratulate/commiserate, it's lovely to share that with them because we wouldn't be there without them.

Historically how did knights train for combat? How do you train for these tournaments today?

A knight had to be in peak physical condition – swimming, running, doing weaponry drills, wrestling, going hunting etc. But it wasn’t just about the physical, they'd also be expected to strategise too – playing chess, reading manuscripts and discussing tactics with their tutors and peers. 

Personally, I try and workout with a weighted vest (you get weird looks in the gym for wearing armour), doing weapon drills with the team and talking about tactics. Just like poker, I try to get the downlow on everyone's ‘tells’ in fights – anything that gives away an opponent’s next move. And I try to find out what mine might be, so I can disguise them.

What's something about knights that people might not know?

I get lots of questions about being a female knight, and how unlikely it would have been. However, what a lot of people don’t realise that the title of knight is an ‘honorific’, which basically means you have to earn it. It wasn’t a birthright, it wasn’t automatically granted.

So there was no real reason WHY females couldn’t be knights, just the sensibilities of the time were very different. But it is a different time now, and we at the Warwick Warriors like to represent that. Besides, I give the lads a run for their money anyway!

For those who haven't yet visited, could you describe the typical day at a Knights’ Tournament?

The knights wake up and get ready early – and what a beautiful place to do it. Pendennis Castle is right by the seaside, with unrivalled views of the coastline.

As the doors open, we come and meet visitors on their way into the castle. So come and have a chat as we try and convert you to our team – you can read all about the competing knights here. We have caused family arguments with this, so you can't say you weren't warned.

We will then head over to our campsite where we can be found between rounds if you want to come and have a bit of a chat, learn more about knights and our weapons and kit. When we're all ready, we then head over to the main arena. 

The tournament itself starts with the accepting of the challenge, where the knights and their squires enter the arena and introduce themselves, explain their motivation for participating and show the Marshall their acceptance token. (The Marshall is basically the referee who makes sure that everyone is behaving as they should, and hands out consequences if they are not.) Here’s your chance to get a feel for who you want to cheer for (or boo), followed by a round of archery from the squires to warm you up. 

In the next round you get to see us fight one-on-one. The knights will choose the person they would like to face, and if they accept they then pick their weapon of choice. This is the first real test of our knights’ skills. The weapon they choose says a lot about them and this round shows how they handle victory... and defeat.

Next comes the Battle of the Barriers and Crest (my personal favourite).  Barriers is fast and furious, one-on-one combat with a barrier between you, your aim is to hit your opponent in the side of their helmet with a pole hammer. 

Immediately on to Crest, where the aim is to knock your opponent’s feather(crests) off their helmet. Everyone gets three lives, but the winner stays on. So, the more you win, the longer you stay on, and the harder it gets.

The final round is the Grand Melee, where all knights and squires are kitted up and armed to compete in three final scraps – determining the outcome of the day. Depending on the points gained throughout the day, this round can cause upset!  Once the points are totted up the Marshall will present the winner with their prize, and if they have performed well, maybe a squire will get their chance to earn their spurs and become a knight. 

As the day draws to a close, we will gather in a good spot and anyone who wants photos with the team will get opportunity. You'll have to forgive the sweatiness though, it’s a hazard of the job. 

Come along to the epic Knights’ Tournament, taking place from 6-8 th August and 20 th -22 nd August 2024. Or to learn more about the medieval events this summer, visit the Pendennis Castle website.