More than 300 people turned out for the Terrific Tudors sessions beside the Red Mount Chapel, where they had the chance to try on period costumes, learn pike drill from a Sergeant of Militia and sample typical 16th century food.

Community outreach officer Stuart Hall said: "We had a very good response from families bringing children along, and some of them stayed throughout. They had sandwiches and sat down for a picnic."

Children enjoyed doing brass rubbings of knights and ladies, making beaded necklaces and taking part in a crime and punishment activity from that era. "There was also traditional Tudor food tasting of pastries and cakes with Alison Sloan, who does historical cooking as a business," he said.

Appropriately-dressed musicians James Bisgood and Keith Thompson, of Tarleton's Jig, familiar faces at Hampton Court and The Globe theatre in London, played Tudor music on a range of instruments from that time.

And Nigel Amies, as the Sergeant of Militia, was kept busy demonstrating pike drill and showing visitors the halberd, a combined spear and battleaxe, used by soldiers training to repel the Spanish Armada invaders.

Mandy London had a tent with period costumes for people to try on and feel the weight of Tudor clothes.

"Lots of people gave us a good positive response to the activity and they were saying it was the best one they had been to," Mr Hall said.

See Tuesday's Lynn News for a picture special from a pre-historic activities day in South Lynn this week.