THE world of medieval wind and water power will be brought to life at Okehampton Castle this weekend, thanks to historic re-enactment group Heuristics.

The group will be at Devon?s largest ruined castle from noon on Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17.

With the help of working models, comic theatre and living history displays, Heuristics will demonstrate how the earliest wind and water mills operated.

There will also be demonstrations of ancient medicine cures, old wives? tales and the chance to participate in more than 20 different games and sports during the day, including skittles, quoits and bandy, and a precursor to the game of hockey.

Heuristics aim to bring history alive and make it interesting as well as

educational.

Water mills date back to the pre-Christian era, while windmills were adopted after the Crusades, when Christian soldiers brought the idea back to Europe from the Holy Land.

By the Middle Ages, mills were used in every aspect of industry, from crushing iron ore to manufacturing gunpowder.

At the time of the Domesday Book there were more than 8,500 water mills in Britain. They were so commonplace there was one mill for every group of 50 houses in the country, and for a while it was a criminal offence not to use your local mill when you needed work doing.

For further information about the event contact Okehampton Castle on 01837 52844.