The Farmer’s House at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village is set to rise again, two years after it burned to the ground. The house, thought to have the highest status in the village, is a reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon building that originally stood on the site 1500 years ago; its design is based on archaeological research carried out at West Stow in the 1960s and 1970s.
Cllr Lynsey Alexander, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Sports said:
“People are gripped when they first enter the buildings at West Stow. Each is unique and as a collection, the village is a notable national heritage site. The Farmer’s House stands in the middle of the village, and its loss has been conspicuous. The rebuilding gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into how this thriving community developed. St Edmundsbury presents it’s exceptional heritage admirably well, and I am very pleased to see the reinstatement of this building.”
The pit beneath the floor has been cleared and will be lined with wood, ready for the timber frame to be lifted into place. Wall planks will then be pegged over the frame and lastly the roof will be constructed with ash rafters and hazel batons and then thatched in spelt wheat, specially grown for the project.
Construction will continue during the autumn and it is planned to re-open the building at the end of the year.
Call 01284 728718 for more details.
ENDS
Note to editors: The Farmer's House was completed in 1998 and then destroyed by fire on 19 February 2005. It features a wood-lined pit, only found in a couple of sites at West Stow. Later buildings from other sites (for example Ipswich), have evidence for cellars with external steps, under raised floors. The Farmer's House presented ideas for higher status homes.
ISSUED BY SALLY EASTON, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL, Tel 01284 757046 sally.easton@stedsbc.gov.uk
