The Napoleonic Association (NA) is set to take the Dengie back to 1813, when it holds a Napoleonic Reenactment in Althorne on the 24 and 25 July.

There will be various displays during the day, taking place at the Crouch Ridge Vineyard, with the main battle at 2.30pm in the afternoon. The event will be open to the public on both days from 10am, and will close at 5pm on the 24 July and 4.30pm on the 25 July.

Martyn Monks, chair of the NA, said: "The scenario is that the emperor, Napoleon, has by accident come into the River Crouch and the French force at Althorne is trying to stop the British capturing him to give them time to prepare the ship before they leave."

The army encampments will be open to the public so that they can meet the re-enactors and see how the armies lived during the Napoleonic period.

Martyn said: "We're trying to set it up so that people coming through almost feel like they're back in 1813. They can wander around the camps, they can see the guns firing, they can talk to the reenacters.

"There will be drills and all sorts of other things going on all the time to make the camp active, so people can come along and spend as many hours there as they want."

Originally scheduled for May 2020, this will be the first major reenactment for the NA since the beginning of the pandemic. Martyn, who joined the NA in 1994, has been working hard to make the event Covid-secure.

"In the 27 years I've been reenacting and the 26 years I've been involved in arranging events, this has been the most difficult," he said. "We've had to put in place a lot of extra arrangements."

There will be an ambulance onsite, extra signage and re-enactors will have to take a lateral flow test before they arrive. The public attending will not need to do so.

There will be other activities at the camp alongside the displays, including a coffee morning hosted by Martyn's wife, Toni, who is also part of the NA.

Through these various activities, the NA hopes to bring a weekend of fun to locals after a difficult year. The reenactments have brought joy to Martyn since he joined the NA in 1994. He regularly goes to Europe with the group and has reenacted all over the world, from Canada to Argentina.

He said: "I was just looking for something to do that was different and I've been a Napoleonic nut for as long as I can remember. Someone suggested trying this, so I did and I've loved every minute of it."

Ahead of bringing the reenactment to Althorne for the first time, Martyn said: "Come along, see what we do and enjoy yourselves in a nice setting."

Tickets cost £7 for adults and children under 12 can enter for free.

For more information you can visit the NA website using the link here. You can buy tickets through the Vineyard website using the link here.