Eastnor Castle will host a unique exhibition of arms and armour drawn from reality and Hollywood fantasy later this month.

The display, on Sunday, August 26, and Bank Holiday Monday, August 27, will showcase real armour from the castle's own extensive collection, alongside items from Armordillo, a local firm which makes armour for TV and movies.

Armordillo's work was seen in the Oscar-winning blockbuster Gladiator, which made a star of Russell Crowe last year.

Rod Voss, co-founder of Armordillo with David Cubbage, said armour worn by Roman soldiers in the battle scene at start of the film was theirs.

"We make some armour out of steel and some from a special resin, which is a process we developed, and which produces results indistinguishable from steel," he said.

Armordillo work will also be seen in new film A Knight's Tale, which is scheduled to open across the country the following Friday, August 31.

A Knight's Tale is the story of a young squire who has to take up jousting when his master is killed.

Starring Heath Ledger and Rufus Sewell, with Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer, the film is tipped to be one of the big hits of the late summer.

Mr Voss said that many of the suits of armour from A Knight's Tale will also be on show. "This is a great chance to see them just before the film opens."

Also on show will be uniforms and equipment from Band of Brothers, the 10-hour TV show sequel to Saving Private Ryan, produced by Steven Spielberg.

"For that, we made helmets which are absolutely identical to the real thing - museum-quality replicas."

Real medieval armour from Eastnor Castle, which has one of the best collections in the country, will also be on display, and armourers will be on hand to demonstrate their skills.

This working armoury will give the public the chance to see how real suits of armour were manufactured, assembled and worn. One of the craftsmen will be assembling a medieval German suit from the castle's collection.

There will also be talks and demonstrations of fighting techniques by experts.

Running parallel with the armour show will be a return visit by the Berkeley Household, one of Britain's largest and most authentic living history group. Set in the era of the Wars of the Roses, their camp in the Deer Park is a vivid recreation of how people lived at the time.

The event runs from 11am to 5pm each day, with last admissions at 4.30pm. Entry is £3 for adults, £2.75 for senior citizens and £2 for children.