The sunken hut now has earthen walls heaped against the wattle and the village spring is being cobbled as I type. November and Decembers volunteer weekends proved very successful. We shall have a break in January and will resume our weekends in February, starting with a demonstration of ancient metal smelting and working. There may be an opportunity for some to have a go though a charge will have to be levied to cover expenses.
The Spring will see us expanding into a pottery theme with the March weekend seeing the manufacture of vessels and April will include a firing session. As ever, the weekends are the first in each month unless stated otherwise.
Best wishes to all our friends and colleagues for the holiday season.
An Anglo-Saxon village is under construction here at Escot Park. Over the coming years a living history site will enable individuals and groups to investigate and experience the day-to-day life of our ancestors. A particular emphasis will be placed on comparing the sustainability of ancient vs. modern lifestyles.
Coming Events
Volunteer Days are during the first full weekend of most months (both Saturday and Sunday are in the new month) here at Escot Education, starting at 10am. If you would like to join us please let me know - 07814036634.
Family Activity Days - on each Sunday of our volunteer weekends we are offering the public the opportunity to 'have a go' at some of our craft activities. Grinding corn and then making bread in the earth oven was a very popular activity over the winter, as well as Matt's forging sessions with copper pendants as the final product. Richard demonstrated his considerable wood carving skills. Craft products are available for sale on these days.
School Activity Days - we can offer Anglo-Saxon experience days as well as the Forest School, Environmental Art and Science and Fun Days. Half, Full day or overnight camps are possible with the sessions tailored to your own individual needs and preferences. See the appropriate link on the Escot Education home page (link on the left of this page) or email or telephone Alan for further information.
Family Activity Days - on each Sunday of our volunteer weekends we are offering the public the opportunity to 'have a go' at some of our craft activities. Grinding corn and then making bread in the earth oven was a very popular activity over the winter, as well as Matt's forging sessions with copper pendants as the final product. Richard demonstrated his considerable wood carving skills. Craft products are available for sale on these days.
School Activity Days - we can offer Anglo-Saxon experience days as well as the Forest School, Environmental Art and Science and Fun Days. Half, Full day or overnight camps are possible with the sessions tailored to your own individual needs and preferences. See the appropriate link on the Escot Education home page (link on the left of this page) or email or telephone Alan for further information.
There's lots more to do and not just heavy work
We have already planted a boundary hedge and fruit bushes, completed a splendid thatched sunken hut, workshop, chicken coop, small bread oven and a bodger's bothy; raised a gateway arch and shelter for the spring; created costumes and researched building techniques; woven sections of wattle fencing and investigated wild foodstuffs of the period.
There is still plenty to do including:
There is still plenty to do including:
- daubing the new roundhouse
- milling flour for our open days and then baking bread
- making domestic and workshop tools and equipment
- blacksmithing
- thatching
- make charcoal for the forge
- splitting logs to feed the fires
- maintaining the herbs and planting a dye plant garden
- making and applying cob daub to more walls and structures
- spinning, weaving and dying wool and other yarns such as nettle
- sewing more costumes for living history days and school visits
- creating a photo album and preparing information packs and display boards
- chasing funding for materials and training expenses.
Why not visit us on the next Volunteer Weekend and see what we get up to? Ring Alan Bruford on 07814-036634 or email at abruford@hotmail.co.uk for dates and details.
- milling flour for our open days and then baking bread
- making domestic and workshop tools and equipment
- blacksmithing
- thatching
- make charcoal for the forge
- splitting logs to feed the fires
- maintaining the herbs and planting a dye plant garden
- making and applying cob daub to more walls and structures
- spinning, weaving and dying wool and other yarns such as nettle
- sewing more costumes for living history days and school visits
- creating a photo album and preparing information packs and display boards
- chasing funding for materials and training expenses.
Why not visit us on the next Volunteer Weekend and see what we get up to? Ring Alan Bruford on 07814-036634 or email at abruford@hotmail.co.uk for dates and details.
18 Dec 2008
27 Jul 2008
2nd and 3rd August 2008Volunteer Weekend
The August dates are Saturday/Sunday 2nd and 3rd August. The sunken hut is almost completely 'wattled' in no small part due to the sterling efforts of Year10 Work Experience students from The King's School, Sidmouth College and Exeter College. Their efforts were greatly admired by the 1,000 or so staff and pupils that have visited us in June/July.
On August 2nd we shall push forward to complete the last few (and fiddly) bits of wattling and the thatch. As usual there will be several small tool tasks underway - making trenchers and individual bowls and spoons amongst them. The last weekend saw the costume group create a young girl's outer dress - Chrissie was again our willing model - and the intricacies of the Lucet were mastered (despite the instructions putting left for right!) (don't know what a Lucet is?No well equiped Saxon woman is without one - come and find out).
As well as continuing the work of the previous day Sunday 3rd August will see a short workshop on making Penannual Brooches in sterling silver (free tuition but a charge for the silver used) run by Ann Bruford, a professional jeweller. Places will be limited with the tools and metal available determining numbers. If there is too great a demand another workshop will be run at a later volunteer weekend.
Don't forget to bring a lunch/something to cook over the fire, work clothes and sturdy footwear (not open toed if sharp/heavy tools are to be used(swimsuit for the swampwalk?)It may be hot so don't forget a hat. As usual drinks are on us. We would appreciate an email if you are interested in coming, especially if you were thinking of camping over on the 2nd.
On August 2nd we shall push forward to complete the last few (and fiddly) bits of wattling and the thatch. As usual there will be several small tool tasks underway - making trenchers and individual bowls and spoons amongst them. The last weekend saw the costume group create a young girl's outer dress - Chrissie was again our willing model - and the intricacies of the Lucet were mastered (despite the instructions putting left for right!) (don't know what a Lucet is?No well equiped Saxon woman is without one - come and find out).
As well as continuing the work of the previous day Sunday 3rd August will see a short workshop on making Penannual Brooches in sterling silver (free tuition but a charge for the silver used) run by Ann Bruford, a professional jeweller. Places will be limited with the tools and metal available determining numbers. If there is too great a demand another workshop will be run at a later volunteer weekend.
Don't forget to bring a lunch/something to cook over the fire, work clothes and sturdy footwear (not open toed if sharp/heavy tools are to be used(swimsuit for the swampwalk?)It may be hot so don't forget a hat. As usual drinks are on us. We would appreciate an email if you are interested in coming, especially if you were thinking of camping over on the 2nd.
27 May 2008
Thatching - Summer 2008
Thanks to the generosity of local master thatcher, Mark Turbitt, we have acquired some suitably 'aged' reed for the roof of our sunken hut. We now have a sizeable mound of reed protected by tarp and Mark has offered to provide instruction on how to attach it, using hurdles as a base layer. Saturday 7th June sees this work beginning so let me know if you are interested in joining us for the weekend.
Interest in the site is increasing as visitors to Escot Park catch site of people working away and new volunteers are always welcome. Further weekends are also planned for early July and August - keep checking for further details.
Interest in the site is increasing as visitors to Escot Park catch site of people working away and new volunteers are always welcome. Further weekends are also planned for early July and August - keep checking for further details.
12 May 2008
Escot's May 2008 Volunteer Weekend
The May weekend was a great success. Both days were well attended and resulted in the sunken hut work moving on at a pace. Lots happened and the 'settlement' visibly moved up a gear.
Ashley, Megan, Jess (1), Jake R and Steve, all new t0 the project, began laying the wattle walls with an impressive eye for detail. Harvesting, trimming and laying the rods took a lot of effort and their work was spectacular.
Ji, Kevin and Nick W have begun preparing the main gate timbers and are now on the lookout for an authentic style of door hanger. Jess(2) laid into the timbers with a gusto on the Sunday.
Daubing went down well, especially with the young people who were interesting shades of buff through to black by the end of the day. Tall Ally daubed throughout Sunday, barely pausing for breath.
The prickly task of weeding the hedge plants took place - thank you Nick R for organising this as well as the daubing.
With Annie and Ann working on prototype clothing designs the end of play on Saturday saw Alan modelling the mens' underclothing - the promised photo is included on the blog for all to admire. Snigger, snigger.
Annie, Michelle and Eve's help with the catering was much appreciated by all. Such an event is not complete without good food and our new reproduction ceramic pots were christened on the Sunday in the embers of the new fire pit. The pots had been created for us by the London potter Caroline Gregory and were greatly admired. Caroline undertook research at the Museum of London and the British Museum and produced cooking pots, a spouted pot and a funerary urn.
Eve impressively took on the smelly and sticky roll of village tanner and devised a system to process the latest wild boarskin harvested from the Escot herd - Boris the Boar's aromatic skin now floats in a vat of salt and vinegar awaiting its reincarnation as a trophy for the village shaman.
The Saturday night camp was well attended by the young, kindly overseen by Michelle and Ji but perhaps as the weather warms up we may be able to tempt the elderly to risk a night under canvas (or at least in a hut).
There are plans afoot to create a Facebook account so that all the photos taken can be shared by the group - we will let you know when it takes off. In the meantime we are uploading some images from the weekend here on the blog.
Don't forget to write in the 7th and 8th of June in your diary for the next Escot Village Weekend.
Ashley, Megan, Jess (1), Jake R and Steve, all new t0 the project, began laying the wattle walls with an impressive eye for detail. Harvesting, trimming and laying the rods took a lot of effort and their work was spectacular.
Ji, Kevin and Nick W have begun preparing the main gate timbers and are now on the lookout for an authentic style of door hanger. Jess(2) laid into the timbers with a gusto on the Sunday.
Daubing went down well, especially with the young people who were interesting shades of buff through to black by the end of the day. Tall Ally daubed throughout Sunday, barely pausing for breath.
The prickly task of weeding the hedge plants took place - thank you Nick R for organising this as well as the daubing.
With Annie and Ann working on prototype clothing designs the end of play on Saturday saw Alan modelling the mens' underclothing - the promised photo is included on the blog for all to admire. Snigger, snigger.
Annie, Michelle and Eve's help with the catering was much appreciated by all. Such an event is not complete without good food and our new reproduction ceramic pots were christened on the Sunday in the embers of the new fire pit. The pots had been created for us by the London potter Caroline Gregory and were greatly admired. Caroline undertook research at the Museum of London and the British Museum and produced cooking pots, a spouted pot and a funerary urn.
Eve impressively took on the smelly and sticky roll of village tanner and devised a system to process the latest wild boarskin harvested from the Escot herd - Boris the Boar's aromatic skin now floats in a vat of salt and vinegar awaiting its reincarnation as a trophy for the village shaman.
The Saturday night camp was well attended by the young, kindly overseen by Michelle and Ji but perhaps as the weather warms up we may be able to tempt the elderly to risk a night under canvas (or at least in a hut).
There are plans afoot to create a Facebook account so that all the photos taken can be shared by the group - we will let you know when it takes off. In the meantime we are uploading some images from the weekend here on the blog.
Don't forget to write in the 7th and 8th of June in your diary for the next Escot Village Weekend.
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How we began...Anglo-Saxon Wood Wrighting Workshop- Nov 2007
We had a great weekend with Damian Goodburn from the Museum of London in November 2007 which kick-started the Edcott site. Discussions on appropriate building styles and techniques led on to designing and the first tentative steps in building our first Anglo-Saxon family dwelling, axes being wielded to great effect.
These skills have now resulted in our thatched sunken hut, complete with internal fire. A new cob bread oven was finished during our May 2008 weekend.
Further workshops have been run on a variety of topics - ring to let us know if you want to be involved.
These skills have now resulted in our thatched sunken hut, complete with internal fire. A new cob bread oven was finished during our May 2008 weekend.
Further workshops have been run on a variety of topics - ring to let us know if you want to be involved.