Saxon History Alive at West Stow
Visit this Reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Village in Suffolk, East Anglia
Apr 12, 2008
The reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village at West Stow, Suffolk is good for a family outing featuring something for all age groups. It is easily reached from the A14 near Bury St Edmunds, about 25 miles away from Cambridge. West Stow offers a great mix of outdoor exhibits for children to work off their excess energy and indoor exhibits. Set in the extensive Country Park near to Thetford Forest, there are also extensive walks to take after your visit, and an attractive tea-room with a view over a bird-feeding area which attracts a variety of titmice and finches which are also a hit with younger visitors after a visit to the Anglo-Saxon village.
You can get inside many of the reconstructed buildings and see the technology typical of Saxon times. The carpenter’s hut features a pole-lathe, which is a human-powered device to shape rounded wooden parts like bowls, and another hut features cooking implements and a loom for weaving cloth. Unlike museum exhibits which need to be preserved from prying hands, you can go up to these reconstructed objects and inspect them close-up, which lends a sense of realism to the exhibition. Around the village, there are exhibits showing how animals would have been kept by the Saxons, though since the climate was warmer in Saxon times some of the animals have to be sheltered now where they would not have originally been kept under cover.
Anglo-Saxon History of West Stow
The original settlement was occupied between 420-650 AD, and was excavated by Dr Stanley West over the summers between 1965 and 1972. The site was well peserved because it was covered with sand blown from the heathland over the mediaeval period. In 1973 Dr Stanley West conceived of the practical reconstruction of the village on the original site, and this was started with the assistance of some students from Cambridge University. The West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village Trust was established to oversee the running of the site shortly afterwards.
Getting To West Stow Anglo-Saxon Reconstructed Village
West Stow is easily reached from the A14 trunk road and the turnoff is signposted from the A14 to the west of Bury St Edmunds. An entrance fee is payable for the Anglo-Saxon village, details and opening times are available from the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village Trust
Some events are held at the site which re-enact historical events in period costume, bringing the past to life – details are available on the website.
Amenities and Places to Eat at West Stow
Free parking, a children’s play area and toilets are available on site. There is a café at West Stow, which serves both the Anglo-Saxon village, and the Country Park. Bury St Edmunds is about 15 minutes by car which has a wide range of shops and restaurants.
Other Attractions Near To West Stow, Suffolk
Lackford Lakes managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust is nearby and is rich in birdlife. West Stow Country Park has a bird hide overlooking Lackford Lakes from the north. Bury St Edmunds with its evocative ruined abbey is the nearest town.
Readers with a particular interest in the Anglo-Saxon period may wish to visit the remarkable Sutton Hoo Ship burial of King Raedwald near Woodbridge. This is about 40 miles to the east, along a fairly straightforward route. The Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket shows how people lived inlater historical times.
Lavenham is a picturesque wool town with many Tudor half-timbered buildings.
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