Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether summer clothe the general earth
With greeness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.



Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My Anglo Saxon Warrior!



I spent last weekend in Suffolk and on Saturday we went to the Anglo-Saxon village at West Stowe. It is built on the site of an original Anglo Saxon village which was occupied between 420 and 650AD by people who migrated to this country from the area that is now part of Northern Germany. Around 650AD the village moved to a site about a mile away which is where it remains today but the reason for the move isn't known.
The original site was gradually covered by sand dunes until it was discovered quite by chance during trial quarrying for sand and gravel.

It was decided to do an archaeological excavation of the whole site and this took place between 1965 and 1972. When the excavation finished the decision was taken to reconstruct the village using the tools and materials available to the Anglo Saxons. There are no written records for this period of English history so the venture was experimental archaeology as they tried to discover how the Anglo Saxons built their houses and lived their day to day lives. Huge numbers of artefacts were found so there was plenty of material to build on. Some weekends during the year it really comes to life when an Anglo Saxon living history group lives there and carries out all the activities of daily life including storytelling round the fire which was one of the great sources of entertainment for the Anglo Saxons, children and adults alike. This way the history and legends of the family and tribe were passed from one generation to the next. I'm hoping to manage a visit to Suffolk when one of these events is on.



Before you go into the actual village there is a room with a short video telling you about West Stowe and also a display of various artefacts. Above on the right of the display case is the Brandon Hoard which is on loan to West Stowe but was discovered near by. It dates to the lst century AD and consists of an iron bound bronze cauldron, a wine strainer, a skillet and a bronze bound wooden vessel. It probably belonged to a wealthy chieften and was hidden during the Roman invasion of Britain. The owner may well have lost his life when taking part in Boudicca's rebellion around AD60 - she was the legendary female warrior chieftain of the Iceni tribe who led a revolt against the Roman invaders and East Anglia was her territory.



Permanent residents of the village - at least until the autumn when they will probably be providing a selection of hams, bacon and pork sausages! Gabriel liked these a lot.


The interior of one of the buildings showing a central hearth in a wooden frame. Several of the houses had these so it must be a recognized style of hearth. I have a feeling that oak doesn't burn very easily so it may be safer than it looks. Any experts who could comment on this? Against the wall are warp weighted looms with the clay loom weights hanging from them.



George was having a good time and he thinks he'd like to be an Anglo Saxon.



Gabriel sees himself as the tribal chieftain and is trying out the chair for size:)



One or two of the Romano British re-enactors who were in the village when we were there, not a full scale presence but giving a little authentic atmosphere.


One of the houses had a built in box bed not unlike the stone box beds found at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands. Neil prodded the straw filled mattress and announced that he didn't think it would be very comfortable!


There is an excellent small museum at West Stowe and on the way in this splendid gentleman flew up onto the fence and cried 'cockadoodledoo!' very loudly several times much to Gabriel's delight. I managed to catch it in full flow.

It was a serious museum but also had things for children to touch and feel including this replica of the helmet found in the burial at Sutton Hoo which is not far away and is scheduled for a visit sometime this summer. He was thrilled at having it on and wanted to see himself in the mirror. It's a poor photo because of all the lights.

Then mummy discovered a dressing up box and he became a small Anglo Saxon. At this point daddy got in on the act as you can see at the start of this post. Gabriel thought it was hilarious seeing daddy dressed up like this. I think he rather looks the part!



I had to leave after lunch on Sunday but in the morning we went to Shotley Gate which is on the estuary where two rivers, the Stour and the Orwell, meet to flow into the sea. Shotley Gate is on a little peninsula in the middle and on one side is the port of Felixstowe and the other is the port of Harwich. The cranes are in Felixstowe which is the largest container port in the UK.


Shotley Gate itself has a nice marina and the estuary is full of boats both cruisers and sailing craft.



There are little sandy beaches and it's possible to walk for 10 miles along a path that goes by the river and through lovely countryside so Neil tells me.



The beaches are thick with seashells, crab skeletons, beautiful coloured pebbles, seaweed and the occasional stranded starfish. Neil and Gabriel are looking for shells so that Francesca can make a shell necklace.


Time to go and get some lunch at the local pub but on the way there we were able to see the lock opening for a boat to move out of the Marina and onto the estuary.
This will be my last post for a while as early in the morning I am off to Sussex and Dorset for a week. A week in the pouring rain by the looks of it too! The forecast is dire for tomorriow and I'm not much looking forward to the drive but hey ho - maybe I'll be lucky and the sun will shine:

21 comments:

Sal said...

I love history and have put West Stowe on the list of places to visit if/when we get as far as Suffolk!
Thank you for sharing !
;-)

Anonymous said...

That was all so interesting! Thanks for the tour :) Isn't it interesting that so long ago they had pitched rooves to their houses, and that basically our house design hasn't changed a great deal since?

Have a lovely holiday, see you when you get back

xxM

Cat said...

Thank you for this post. I am a lover of history and this was very interesting. I hope I get to visit this site some day.

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Very interesting post, Rowan.
Don't the GK's grow up quickly?
I hope you get some good weather for your holiday. We are heading north for a week. Mustn't forget the waterproofs.

PAT said...

I missed this post earlier, Rowan! Hope you are enjoying your time away.

I loved this post and the music!

Gracie said...

That was so very interesting, thanks. And I'm crossing my fingers for the weather....
Gracie at http://mylittleplace.blog.com

Shirl said...

A very informative post about West Stowe. I looked it up on the map and we don't live too far away, so I think a visit might be on the cards.

Have a lovely holiday ... :0)

Shirl x

Diane said...

That looks like a really interesting and beautiful weekend Rowan. Keeping my fingers crossed for good weather for you in Dorset. PS Your Grandchildren are beautiful.

laoi gaul~williams said...

how fantastic! another 'to visit' place to add to my list.
i know that oak is a very 'wet' wood-if you touch freshly cut oak it feels very damp so that is possibly why it is used.

Leanne said...

safe journeys Rowan, see you on wednesdsay!!

leanne x

Thimbleanna said...

You always visit such fascinating places Rowan. Beautiful pictures, as usual -- I love the picture of the rooster in mid-call!

hippymummy said...

Hi Rowan, i always look forward to your posts and after my enforced abscence i've a LOT of catching up to do. Hope your time away was very happy - and not too water logged! - with so many interesting things to see and do. I look forward to hearing all about it in good time xXx

Sheila said...

This is a delightful way to pass a day with your family. I have a feeling your grandchildren will inherit your love of history, and 'living' history too.

Granny Sue said...

Wow, it's hard to imagine life that long ago.

About the wood hearths--that's strange. We burn oak as firewood and it burns quite well. I wonder if they did this to hold the fire for long periods while they were marauding about? The oak would burn, but slowly in that arrangement, I'd think, and perhaps the coals could be easily kinled back up. The hearth would have to be replaced from time to time, I'd think, and I'd be mighty uncomfortable about a fireplace like that in a straw house. But then temporary might have been the name of the game for them.

Kim said...

Great post Rowan, those little boys are delightful :)

Kim x

Anonymous said...

My Rowan, you do get around! Reminds me of when my own children were young and I had good reason to do such things myself. Lovely, lovely photographs and the wonder on those little faces. Now I wonder what you're going to show us next! x

kerrdelune said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've always wanted to visit the place!

Ragged Roses said...

I hope you found some sunshine in Sussex this past week. Your post is as always, so interesting, thank you. YOu find the best places to visit,
Kimx

Val said...

I enjoyed the Sutton Hoo bit in the British Museum but feel that a small local musuem (with things to handle) captures the imagination so much better.

I live near a field centre where children go to learn about how the ancient britons lived (complete with living history teacher who indeed lives the part all day!)

Anonymous said...

West Stowe sounds like a great place to visit! I think recreations are such a wonderful way to learn about the past - they really bring it to life. I used to be a leader with Young Archaeologists before I had the babe and it was such fun visiting these types of places and getting dressed up!

Julie said...

You do the most interesting things in the most interesting places. Thanks for the look at the Anglo Saxons. I really don't like them for taking over England from my beloved Celts, but really, what would England be without the AS!