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| The Wychurst Project is a recreation of a circa 10/11th century Saxon
Manorial Burh and it’s surroundings. The first phase of the project
entails constructing the Burh and the Saxon Aisled Longhall. The Burh is
a construction consisting of a ring ditch, earth bank and protective fence
or Palisade. Due to local availability the Palisade is built from Oak. Entry
and exit, to and from the Burh is controlled at the front by a pair of gates
flanked by gatehouses, and from the rear by gates and raised defensive platforms. |
| The project is located near Canterbury, Kent,
England. The site is located in an area known as Blean Forest, and borders
the
Wildwood Wildlife park. The park specializes in animal and
bird species that would have been native to the British Isles since the
last ice age. Although next to Wildwood we are not part of the park. |
| The project is entirely the work of the Members of Regia Anglorum (www.regia.org),
one of the UK’s leading re-enactment groups. The Society specializes
in recreating the life and times of the hundred years leading up to the
Norman Conquest of England in 1066. |
| The project is being built to further the aims of the Society and provide
a permanent site where facets of reconstructional archaeology not possible
in mobile show contexts can be explored and demonstrated. That said, for
a number of members we are doing it because we can! When complete the site
will give Regia Anglorum an unprecedented showcase with which to recreate
the period and explore new crafts and skills, both for private and public
consumption. |
| The project is funded in several ways. A majority
of the money has come from the coffers of Regia Anglorum. The proceeds of
shows and filmwork that the society undertakes forms the basis of the project
funding. In addition to this we have sought and obtained grants from the
Lottery commission. The biggest contribution however, comes from the voluntary
labour provided by an ever growing band of the Society's members, who have
so far donated in excess of 10 man years of labour. |
| The project fits neatly within the time frame of Key Stage 2 of the National
Curriculum - Settlers and Invaders. This period begins with the Early Saxon
Settlement, traverses the first Viking raids beginning in 843AD, and ends
with the succession of the English Throne to the Normans after the Battle
of Hastings in 1066. The project is designed to demonstrate the growing
power of the Saxons to quell the Viking invaders around the turn of the
11th Century. |
| The Name Wychurst is derived from two Anglo-Saxon or old English words,
wyc meaning a place or settlement, and hyrst meaning of or in the woods.
We take Wychurst to be a "Settlement in the Woods" |
| Full or semi-permanent public access is a long term goal of the project.
Whilst we're currently nearing the completion of Phase One, the site is
still considered to be a building site and is likely to remain so into 2007.
That said we have, by agreement with Wildwood conducted tours during our
annual work week which takes place in the week preceding the August Bank
Holiday (the last weekend in August). Please see our project notice board
for details pertaining to this years events. |
| Yes. Even though the site is not open to the
general public, our members have full access and the site has already been
used for filming on several occasions. For more information about what the
site offers please visit The
Regia Anglorum Web Site or contact Film Work Booking. |
| We are using styles of construction that would have been available at
the time. For example, the rafters in the roof are laid on their back, as
would have been done at the time, rather than on edge, as in a modern roof.
Where we are not constrained by modern planning and building regulations
we use joints and jointing methods that would have been used at the time.
Because the project labour is voluntary, and unskilled or semi-skilled,
most people who work on the project have other occupations during their
normal working week, we are unable to do things the way they would have
been done 1000 years ago. In the tenth century labour was cheap. We do not
have this advantage. So instead of pit sawn timbers, our timbers have been
cut using chainsaws and a modern band saw. The frame was erected using a
JCB and Forklift, and the roof was built on the ground and lifted into place
using a crane. For mixing the daub, the infill for the walls, we use a cement
mixer rather than enduring the back breaking task of mixing it by hand.
Other modern tools are to enable us to carry out work in a weekend that
would have taken them days. After all we'd like to try and finish the project
sometime this Century! |
| Probably never! The Wychurst project is a project
that can always have other things added to it. For example the remaining
space inside the Burh will hopefully, eventually contain a Bauer House (smaller
hall), flint walled chapel, stables, smithy, bake house and brew house.
In the area outside we'd like to add a Thegns tower, Parish church and a
number of cottages. That list alone will keep us busy for many years. |
| The Longhall is the biggest privately funded hall of its type in Europe.
It is 60’ (18.2M) long by 30’ (9.1M) wide by 29’ (9.0M)
high. |
| At the moment the Wychurst Project owns about 2 acres of land. About one
acre is enclosed by the burgh. We are in negotiation to buy another about
1.2 acres of adjoining land. |
| Oak and loads of it. The timbers of the hall where made from oak cut only
a few hundred meters from where the site is. The whole palisade is made
from local Kent oak. |
| At the moment we are on stage one. That consists
of the Burgh with palisade, the gatehouse and the Long Hall itself. When
this is completed stage two will include the Bauer House (smaller version
of the long hall for families) and a small packed flint mortar chapel. There
will probably be more stages in the future. |
| We would love to see you if you are interested
in getting involved in the project. However, you must be a Regia Anglorum
member. There is temporary membership available at £7.50 if you only
want to come for a day and try your hand at daubing. If you then decide
to take a longer interest in the project, membership of the society is £15
per year. Note. Regia Members belong to the group local to the county or
city in which they live. In addition to the fee payable to the National
body, groups levy an additional fee according to their needs. Please contact
the National Membership officer for details of your local group. |