(Image: Supplied)
A North Yorkshire stately home with historic links to America is set to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence with a weekend of Revolutionary War re-enactments.
Kiplin Hall and Gardens, just 15 minutes from Scotch Corner, will host the "America 1776 Live" event on August 22 and 23, 2026, bringing to life the sights, sounds, and stories of the American Revolution in the grounds of the Jacobean hall.
The estate has deep historic ties to America through its first owner, George Calvert, First Baron Baltimore, who established the colony that later became the state of Maryland.
Red coats ready for battle reenactment
(Image: Supplied)
Kiplin Hall’s spokesperson said: "During the American Revolution 13 American British colonies rejected imperial rule and fought for their independence. Independence Day is celebrated in the USA on the 4th of July each year, remembering the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, 250 years ago."
Visitors will be transported back to the Revolutionary era through immersive camps, live cannon demonstrations, and musket drills—complete with the dramatic sound of black powder gunfire.
Costumed re-enactors will bring to life both "loyalists" who supported British rule and "patriots" who fought for independence.
The Maryland state flag flies at Kiplin Hall, alongside the Yorkshire Flag
(Image: Supplied)
Experience 18th-century military life, meet the characters of the time, and get a taste of history in the encampments’ period kitchens—complete with the unique smells of historical cuisine.
Though the event commemorates the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States, Kiplin Hall is also careful to acknowledge the broader historical context, including the lives of Native American peoples long before European colonisation.
Today, around 2 per cent of the US population—approximately 6.6 million people—identify as Native American.
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America 1776 Live is included with standard day tickets and annual membership to Kiplin Hall and Gardens.
Organisers advise that the event may not be suitable for dogs, due to loud musket and cannon fire.
For more details and to plan your visit, go to www.kiplinhall.co.uk.
Kiplin Hall and Gardens is open six days a week and closes on Thursdays.