During the 1990s, it was decided to build a (re)construction of the grubenhaus found at New Bewick in Gyrwe’s farm, based on the available archaeological evidence.
In fact, the only elements of the (re)construction that reflect the archaeological record are the main pit and the two poles against its short edges. In the experimental building these poles support a central rafter for the pitched roof. A wattle revetment covers the sides of the pit, and this choice was made only as a remedy to the scarce quality of the excavated soil in Gyrwe. There is no evidence for the position and size of the door and for the steps that give access to the internal of the (re)construction. The walls of the building were raised above the north and south edges and are made of oak planks placed horizontally. The roof of the building in Gyrwe was laid down from the ground level next to the long sides of the building up to the central rafter. It is made of heather hatch supported by ash poles and hazel. No daub was used, despite its discovery on-site.
At the moment, the (re)construction of this grubenhaus in Gyrwe cannot be accessed by the public. The animation here shows a virtual tour of the point cloud of the structure obtained from a 3D laser scanning survey conducted in 2021 by Newcastle University’s McCord Centre for Landscape in collaboration with Groundwork South and North Tyneside. This survey, further to guarantee the visit of the structure even when not accessible, constitutes its first accurate record.
