THE usually tranquil fields around Alresford rang out to the sound of musket shots and marching drums as hundreds of enthusiasts recreated Hampshire's biggest ever battle.

More than 600 authentically dressed re-enactors marked the 360th anniversary of the Battle of Cheriton, which changed the face of British politics forever.

Several thousand people saw history brought faithfully to life as the members of the Sealed Knot Re-enactment Society recreated one of the big set piece battles of the English Civil War. It claimed the lives of about 2,000.

Gun shots sounded and the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air while the intermittent canon fire sent shockwaves through the audience, much to the delight of the hundreds of watching children.

The Battle of Cheriton Project, who ran the event, opened the battlefield last week to about 560 youngsters.

It is part of a longer-term commitment by the organisers to give children a greater understanding of local history.

The Battle of Cheriton came at the height of the civil war 1644. It saw the first decisive win by the Parliamentarian forces against those loyal to the King. More than 16,000 men were involved in the real fight, which eventually saw the Royalists under Lord Hopton humiliated at the hands of the Roundheads led by Sir William Waller.

One of the organisers of the weekend's activities, Ols Hofer, said: "This is such an important event both in English history and for the people of Cheriton and Hampshire.

"The whole week has gone really well and all the children who have come along seem to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves."

It was a view backed up by one youngster (and his mum), James Bryant, aged 6, from The Valley in Stanmore.

He said: "It was brilliant.

"I liked it when the bangs went off and everybody got scared."