Hunky actor James Purefoy came face-to-face with the scene of an historic conflict in which he played a key part in a movie of the event.

The star, who rose to fame as Mark Antony in the acclaimed TV series Rome, was a Knight Templar in Ironclad, which recreates the siege of Rochester Castle in 1215 by marauding King John.

He introduced a special showing of the film at the castle at the weekend, greeting fans in his first return to the Towns since a research trip last year.

He told the Messenger: "I had spent two days down here soaking up the atmosphere and learning about the history of the place. The real thing beats the set big time – we only had half a castle and the rest was CGI."

He was joined by cheeky cockney knight Jamie Foreman, a newly-announced EastEnders star also known for his roles in Layer Cake and Sleepy Hollow.

The pair were supporting the Restore Rochester Castle campaign, which collected on the night and took a donation from outdoor film firm Nomad Cinema.

Campaign chairman Jon O’Donnell said: "James suggested the idea and it’s an absolute dream to see it happening. They fell in love with the castle and this is like coming home for them."

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See Friday’s Messenger for a review of the event