Two new piglets have arrived at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and are urgently in need of some names. St Edmundsbury Borough Council (which owns the village) is challenging children to think of names for the piglets and enter a competition to win a free family entry to the Anglo-Saxon village and a special chance to feed the piglets.
Mary-Ellen Crothers, experimental archaeologist at West Stow, said:
“We know from the archaeology that the Anglo-Saxons who lived here 1,500 years ago were farmers. Today we have pigs in the village, along with chickens and crops, to show how the Anglo-Saxons would have lived. The piglets are now settling into their new home; they are building up healthy appetites and growing fast. They were born in January and are a cross of Gloucester Old Spot and Large Black varieties. I think they are really cute and certainly add some character to the village.”
To enter the competition, send your choice of names for the pigs (who are sisters), along with your own name, address and telephone number to:
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village
Icklingham Road
West Stow
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP28 6HG
The competition is open to anyone aged 15 or under and entries must be received by Monday 16 April. The winning names will be chosen by staff and are likely to be Anglo-Saxon in origin, so you may want to use the internet to do some research.
If you are keen to see the piglets before choosing names for them, then the Heritage Fayre on 8 and 9 April will be a great opportunity. Call 01284 728718 for more details.
ENDS
ISSUED BY: CHRISTINE WHITE, HERITAGE OFFICER, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL TEL 01284 706183. christine.white@stedsbc.gov.uk
