Our new BLOG and a “re-discovered” experimental archive!

As part of our brand-new NLHF-funded project Skills from the Past for the Future, we created this blog to keep you all informed about the exciting activities and workshops delivered at Jarrow Hall Anglo-Saxon Farm, Village and Bede Museum as part of this extraordinary project.
Several workshops about heritage skills, ancient technology and experimental archaeology will be delivered at the museum from next Autumn until Spring 2024!
Every Wednesday night (5:30pm/7:30pm) the team of volunteers dedicated to the experimental research carried out at the museum and its living history programme gathers to discuss archaeological matters such as timber building techniques, Anglo-Saxon iconography, mead production, basketry… etc. A lot of research needs to go into our new project, but sharing this task in a group of enthusiastic people will certainly make it more enjoyable.

What a better way to start if not with a completely unexpected visit by Mr Mark Stewart, one of the skilled craftsmen who built with Michael Hayes our very own Thirlings Hall!
Mark worked with Michael for Bede’s World from 1994 to 2000 and during his time onsite, he was able to collect a lot of material related to the construction of our experimental timber buildings and some replicas once on display.
This precious collection of documents, drawings and photographs contains information on the construction of our Thirlings Hall, the so-called Monk’s Cell (structure VIII from the monastic site in Hartlepool), the Grubenhaus, now called Grubenhaus 1, to distinguish it from Grubenhaus 2, the reconstruction carried out in 2021 by our volunteers under the supervision and training of Marc Cox (Newhaven Coppice) and Dr Marco Romeo-Pitone, Project Manager Archaeology at our museum.
The archive contains also interesting information about another building-project, part of the original Bede’s World experimental plan, but never realised: the Royal Palace at Yeavering.

All this material will be properly archived and studied to better inform the interventions on our experimental (re)constructions, part of this project. So, keep your eyes peeled for new content to be added onto our website to the pages dedicated to the Experimental Collection.
Mr Stewart kindly offered to visit us again and follow the developments of Skills from the Past for the Future…no pressure!!

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