A PAGEANT to 'the greatest Welshman who ever lived' is at the centre of a medieval weekend in Knighton.

The life of Welsh patriarch Owain Glyndwr will be commemorated over the weekend June 9-10, when locals re-enact his life.

They will play the main characters in the biography 'In Search of Owain Glyndwr', written by author Chris Barber, retracing the steps of the Welsh hero.

The book is also the subject of a lecture by Barber, who talks about Glyndwr's life on Friday, May 19, at The Knighton Hotel.

The pageant, organised by Knighton's Tourism 2000 group, was originally intended to coincide with the opening of the Glyndwr's Way footpath, which begins in Knighton.

This has been delayed, but the group, subsidised by a £3,920 Heritage Lottery grant, has organised the three-day festival, which involves medieval costume processions, battle re-enactments, a living history camp and brave hand-to-hand combat.

The camp will be open to schoolchildren on June 8 and 9, who will be able to experience first-hand how people lived, cooked, dressed and prepared for battle in medieval times.

One of Glyndwr's finest moments, his crowning at Bryn-y-Castell, is re-enacted on Sunday, with a commemorative display of the Battle of Pilleth, follwed by a grand melle and the Circle of Treachery.

All money raised will go to the Knighton Museum Trust, which is financing a new museum in Knighton.