PLAY days usually conjure up images of slides and hopscotches but a Witney event wants an army of medieval-style catapult machines.

Organisers have secured a trebuchet and are asking for more people to come forward with the ancient equipment so children can fire mud balls.

The 5ft by 3ft wooden ‘weapon’, which can fling objects up to 60ft, was built by a timber merchant worker using scrap materials.

Witney Town Council appealed for a small version to launch mud balls as part of next month’s play day at The Leys recreation ground.

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It was answered by Corn Street resident Olly Hill, a yard foreman at Jewson builders in Station Lane, who built one to sling apples in his work yard.

He was inspired by assistant manager Guy Ryan, who has used the catapults at medieval re-enactments with the Windrush Bowmen Archery Club.

Mr Hill, 35, said: “It doesn’t have the best engineering quality but it will chuck an apple a reasonable distance. It’s not one of those things you tend to have lying around but I did.

“I just made it as a side project for a bit of fun.”

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Polly Inness

Event co-ordinator Polly Inness said: “It’s one of those mad things that came into my head.

“People used to fire mud at targets with catapults so I thought we should do that on a big scale.”

Trebuchets were used to break enemy territories by flinging rocks and objects in the Middle Ages but were gradually replaced from the 15th century by gunpowder.

Town councillor Chris Holliday said: “We should be encouraging our children to be risk aware. Life has risks but it’s how you manage them and as long as children are taught in a safe and constructive environment they can learn a lot.”

Mother-of-two Deb Benn, of Woodgreen, will help out with fundraising and said: “Children love to play and get dirty so this sounds like a perfect way to do it.”

Children will also learn how to make a fire, have conker battles and make mud pies at the event, to also include a “pimp my welly” decorating stall, football and tennis.

The free event, supported by Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association and Oxfordshire Play Association, will raise money and awareness for a new community splash park at The Leys.

About 5,000 people attended last year’s event at Burwell Recreation Ground. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, October 29, from 11am to 3pm.

TREBUCHETS

  • A TREBUCHET is a large catapult that was used during sieges in the Middle Ages.
  • It could fling objects weighing up to 60kg at enemy fortifications and was so effective it continued to be used after the invention of gunpowder.
  • Different designs were used at different points in history but the most powerful was the counterweight trebuchet, first used in the 12th century.
  • These machines were powered exclusively by gravity using a counterweight.


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