A CIVIL war will be brought back to life in spectacular fashion as 1,000 soldiers' take to the fields with muskets and canons .

Historians believe that on June 25, 1644, during the English Civil War, skirmishes took place in Haggate, Trawden, and Colne.

The fighting went in favour of the Royalists, who under Sir Charles Lucas, defeated the Parliamentarians.

Now the battles are to be re-enacted by the national Sealed Knot Society, with more than 1,000 members from across Lancashire dressed as cavalry troops with muskets and canons descending on Alkincoats Park, Colne.

The society's Lieutenant-Colonel John Lilburn's Regiment aims to raise awareness and interest in the history of the civil war through performance, discussions and lectures.

Two armies' will camp overnight, bringing with them leather workers and tinsmiths.

The event, which is the brain child of Coun Graham Roach, who represents Waterside on Pendle Council, has already got £25,000 funding from Pendle Council and will take place on June 21 and 22.

However a further £10,000 is needed and Coun Roach is looking for sponsorship.

He approched councillors last November after attending a similar event in Padiham three years ago.

He said: "The idea is to bring something to Colne.

"I am interested in what happened in Colne and this seems to gel really well with that weekend, which is around the same time as the battle.

"There will be over a thousand people divided into two battle groups dressed up with muskets and canons like the soldiers were."

At Thursdays Colne Committee meeting Council leader Coun Alan Davies praised Coun Roach's idea.

He said: "This will celebrate the skirmishes that took place between the King and the Parliament in and around Colne.

"This particular battle will be little more than a skirmish.

"This is a major operation which will bring in people from across the North-West into Colne apart from the blues festival.

"This will bring passion and life as well as a large event into the area and promote parks in the cultural sot of way rather than the aesthetic way."

Councillors also approved plans to get local schools involved in the event.

The weekend will be open to the public and there will be stalls with food and entertainment.

The Sealed Knot Society was founded by a distinguished Soldier and the Country's foremost Military Authority on the Civil Wars Brigadier Peter Young D.S.O., M.C., F.H., and a group of friends following a party in Cavalier costume held in the summer of 1968. The idea of forming an "army" of the period was floated and quickly gained wide interest so much so that within two years the membership had topped the one thousand mark.

It aims to promote research and interest in the history of the Civil Wars by re-enactments of battles, discussions or lectures and the erection of memorials.