A group of Romano-British re-enactors will be taking up residence in the Anglo-Saxon Village at West Stow for the weekend on the 1 & 2 October 2005, and bringing with them their own unique picture of what life would have been like for people living in East Anglia towards the end of Roman rule.
The group, known as Venta Icenorum, are a small group of dedicated enthusiasts who host special events across the country and recreate late Iron Age, Roman and Early Anglo-Saxon Britain in the 1st to 6th centuries AD. There will be opportunities for visitors to get “hands-on” and have a go at activities such as pottery, tablet weaving and Roman writing, plus displays of replica Romano-British and Germanic clothing and Romano-British military equipment, many of which can be tried on by children.
Some astute readers may query what a group of Romano-British people might be doing in an Anglo-SaxonVillage! Well, the answer lies in the soil of West Stow! Although Romano-British people would never have lived in a Village like the one that has been reconstructed on the original site at West Stow, there is archaeological evidence that Romano-British people did use the site around AD80 – AD140, some 400 years before the Anglo-Saxons arrived there. Over ten Romano-British pottery kilns have been discovered by archaeologists at West Stow, along with large quantities of waste pottery and small buildings from the same period.
It’s clear that Romano-British people used the site for small-scale industrial production of pottery which they traded far and wide: the unique stamps of some of the West Stow craftsmen have been found on pots discovered at Colchester and as far away as Doncaster.
Venta will be in the Village from 10am – 5pm on Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 October, with last entry to the Village at 4pm. There’s no need to book ahead, just come along on the day for a chance to immerse yourself in our local Romano-British history. For more information about the event or WestStowAnglo-SaxonVillage, please call 01284 728718, email weststow@stedsbc.gov.uk or visit our website www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk. Further details on Venta Icenorum can be seen on their website www.ventaicenorum.co.uk.
The Anglo-Saxon Village is set in West Stow Country Park, seven miles NW of Bury St Edmunds off the A1101, with an excellent play area, café, gift shop, nature walks, lake, river and bird- hides all on site.
ENDS
Notes to editors
High-res images of Venta Icenorum at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village are available by email on request. Publications are invited to use these images.
