Reconstruction of a traditional Anglo-Saxon hall house at Butser Ancient Farm.Pic supplied
Posted on 04/09/2022 10:00:53 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The house at Butser Ancient Farm, based on archaeological remains from Chalton, has taken nearly four years to complete after work started in 2018.
Now thanks to the hard work of volunteers and staff, under the expert leadership of Darren Hammerton, the ancient house has now thrown open its doors – with Time Team’s Dr Harding present to mark the occasion.
All timber used in the construction came from within a 10-mile radius of Butser Ancient Farm, with a combination of English oak, sweet chestnut and hazel used in the construction. The roof was thatched with water reeds.
The settlement at Church Down was significant archaeologically with it revealing evidence of large and sophisticated buildings at a time when many thought Anglo-Saxons lived in simple small pit houses called Grubenhäuser.
Experimental archaeologist Trevor Creighton, from Butser Ancient Farm, said: ‘We’re really excited to have opened our second Anglo Saxon building.
‘The first Anglo Saxon building was finished in March 2016, while we started work for our second in 2018. They are both based on the foundations of two houses, dated to around 700 AD, uncovered during excavations during the 1970s.
‘Archaeologists revealed evidence of 61 structures, numerous fences and other features, as well as the remains of animal bones, cereals, metal work and a few small objects, including spear and arrow tips and decorative objects. Rather wonderfully, you can see the site of the excavation from the front doors of the houses constructed at Butser.’
(Excerpt) Read more at portsmouth.co.uk ...
Reconstruction of a traditional Anglo-Saxon hall house at Butser Ancient Farm.Pic supplied
The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar.
Friends and kinsmen flocked to his ranks,
Young followers, a force that grew
To be a mighty army. So his mind turned
To hall-building: he handed down orders
For men to work on a great mead-hall
Meant to be a wonder of the world forever;
It would be his throne-room and there he would dispense
His God-given goods to young and old-—
But not the common land or people’s lives.
Far and wide through the world, I have heard,
Orders for work to adorn that wall stead
Were sent to many peoples. And soon it stood there,
Finished and ready, in full view,
The hall of halls.
I don’t watch it, or any TV shows, apart from oldies on stream.
Mom always liked him best. ;^)
Fan of Cornwell stuff. Sharpe series was worth the time spent as was the movie Master & Commander. I found the series “The Last Kingdom” to be much much better then Vikings - Far less tiresome. Until now reasonably in line with the Saxon Stories novels.
Well everything's “woke” nothing I can do about it except not patronize it.
If you haven’t seen it (free on prime) “Victorian Farm” And “Edwardian Farm” shows are very good. Two men and a woman work a farm for one year using only what was available at the time. Ruth, the historian, is a real hoot and enthusiastic. They even burn lime for the fields, a dangerous enterprise.
Don’t strike a match.
It is beautiful execution of laying the roof.
Thatched roofs have been used for centuries. I shutter to think of what March-April winds in Texas would do to that. Or for that part even in England, where gales happen frequently.
Thank for interesting post.
Beowulf:
Hwæt we garde-
(Lo! We, of the Spear Dan-)
na ingear dagum, þeod cyninga
(-es in days of yore, of those great kings,)
þrym ge frunon huða æþelingas elle[n]
(of their power heard, how those princes deeds of valour)
fremedon.
(accomplished.)
Hear-beowulf-read-in-the-original-old-english.html Iron age Danes and Swedes fighting.
Neaderthal man....Grendal candidate?? (Leaving aside the issue of the underwater domicile...)
Nice.
Looks like Skippy down at the car wash.
That roof is a work of art-both beautiful and functional-I’d love to have that for a cabin roof-but the wind and hail here would rip it off...
It is a difficult thing to find people who can still do thatching.
https://www.insurancechoice.co.uk/blog/2019/11/maintaining-and-repairing-a-thatched-roof
It is a very nice piece of work, and the building has a very nice design. Thanks for posting!
Thanks, I’ll check it out. The UK does a lot, lot, lot more of those very kinds of shows, reality shows that are actually real stuff instead of phony dating, phony weddings, phony posh living...
I would think so. If we had that kind of keep-it-alive stuff in the US, some whacko would post some knee-jerk template about gov't grant billionaires. :^)
My pleasure. That's probably why Columbus' voyage led to more slate roofs in England. :^)
“Edwardian Farm” is also on Tubi, I’ve got it streaming now.
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