West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village facts for kids
Reconstructed buildings at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village
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| Established | 1999 |
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| Location | West Stow, Suffolk |
| Type | Archaeological open-air museum |
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village is an amazing archaeological site and an open-air museum in Suffolk, eastern England. It's a place where you can step back in time! People have lived here for thousands of years, from the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) to the Roman period.
But West Stow is most famous for a small village that existed here between the mid-5th and early 7th centuries CE. This was during the early Anglo-Saxon period. About 70 special "sunken-featured buildings" and 8 larger halls were built here. After the Anglo-Saxons left, the area became farmland much later.
People first became interested in the site in 1849 when an Anglo-Saxon burial ground was found nearby. Later, archaeologists found Roman pottery kilns. The Anglo-Saxon village itself was dug up between 1956 and 1972 by a team led by Vera Evison and Stanley West. After the digging finished, they decided to rebuild the village! This amazing project started in 1974. In 1999, West Stow opened to the public with a new visitor center, museum, and cafe.
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Where is West Stow Village?
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village is located on the north side of the River Lark. It's right next to the modern village of West Stow in Suffolk. The village sits on a small hill, about 15 feet (4.5 meters) high. This made it easy to spot in the old landscape.
The area around West Stow looks very different today compared to Anglo-Saxon times. Back then, it was likely more open. Today, parts of the land have been changed by things like sewage farms and gravel pits. However, much of the area has been turned into a Country Park with trees and plants. A line of pine trees planted in the 1800s now cuts through the old settlement site.
Ancient Life at West Stow
The West Stow site shows signs that people lived here throughout British prehistory. In fact, the wider Lark Valley has the most ancient settlements found in the East Anglia region.
Stone Age Hunters
Archaeologists found proof that hunter-gatherers lived here during the Mesolithic, or "Middle Stone Age." These early people camped on the hill. They left behind many stone tools, like flakes and blades, which they used for hunting and daily tasks. Similar stone tools have been found all over the valley.
Farmers of the New Stone Age and Bronze Age
Evidence of the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age has also been found near West Stow. This includes special pottery and arrowheads. These finds show that people were farming and using metal tools in these later prehistoric times.
The Anglo-Saxon Village
During the early Anglo-Saxon period, West Stow was a small village made of wooden buildings. When archaeologists dug up the site, they found many different structures. There were 69 "sunken-featured buildings" (SFBs) and 7 larger buildings called halls. They also found smaller structures, pits, and ditches.
The Anglo-Saxon village didn't have clear property fences until its very last years. There were also no signs that the village was protected by walls or forts.
Sunken-Featured Buildings (SFBs)
Most of the buildings at West Stow were "sunken-featured buildings," or SFBs. This name was created by Professor Philip Rahtz. Before this, people called them "pit houses" or "grubenhauser." But "sunken-featured buildings" is a better name because it just describes how they look, without guessing what they were used for. Seventy of these SFBs were found at West Stow.
The Great Halls
The other type of building found at West Stow was larger. These were held up by wooden posts, which left holes in the ground called postholes. Archaeologists believe these were halls. Five of these halls were on the main part of the hill. The other two were on the north and south sides. Most halls were built facing east to west.
Four of the halls were simple, rectangular spaces. Hall No. 2 was more complex, with an inside wall and double post-holes. Hall No. 7 was also different, built with a strong base. Hall No. 5 was harder to understand because other buildings were built on top of it later.
- Hall 1: This hall was at the eastern end of the site. It was about 26 feet (8 meters) long and 13 feet 6 inches (4.1 meters) wide. It likely had two doorways. No fireplace was found, but there was a burnt sand patch in the middle.
- Hall 2: This was probably the biggest hall, located on top of the hill. It was about 32 feet (9.7 meters) long and 14 feet (4.3 meters) wide. It had a dividing wall inside, creating a smaller room. A burnt sand patch showed where the fireplace was. Many items were found here, including Roman coins and iron tools.
- Hall 3: This hall was similar to Hall 1 in shape and size. However, much of its south side was destroyed by later buildings. Fifteen items were found inside, including Roman bronze objects and glass fragments.
- Hall 4: This hall was also hard to see because of later buildings. It was at least 22 feet (6.7 meters) long and 16 feet (4.9 meters) wide. Only three items were found: a Roman coin, a glass piece, and a bone comb.
- Hall 5: Located on the lower slope of the hill, this hall's plan was also hidden by later buildings. Many postholes and three fireplaces were found, suggesting there might have been two halls here (5A and 5B). Bronze, iron, and bone items were discovered.
- Hall 6: This hall was at the far western end of the hill. It was at least 25 feet (7.6 meters) long and 12 feet (3.7 meters) wide. A Roman bronze spoon and two iron objects were found inside.
- Hall 7: This was the largest and most advanced building at West Stow, about 37 feet 6 inches (11.4 meters) long and 25 feet 9 inches (7.8 meters) wide. Many interesting items were found, including Roman coins and various tools made of bronze, iron, glass, and bone.
Other Village Features
Archaeologists also found smaller post-built structures at West Stow. These were too small to be halls. They might have been used for small repairs or other purposes. There was no sign of fences around them.
Four large areas of disturbed soil were found, mostly on the eastern side of the village. They contained small pottery pieces and some metal objects. Their purpose is unknown, but some think they might have been animal pens.
About 79 pits were also found from the Anglo-Saxon period. Some of these were rectangular with flat bottoms. Their purpose is still a mystery.
In the last phase of the village, several ditches were dug. Those on the western side seemed to mark out different areas. The ditches on the eastern side didn't seem to have a clear purpose.
West Stow's Modern Story
Digging Up the Past: 1849–1976
The first digging near West Stow happened in 1849. An Anglo-Saxon burial ground was found by accident. Skeletons and many pots were discovered. Local people collected these finds. No one thought there might be an Anglo-Saxon village nearby at that time.
Later, in the late 1800s and 1940, archaeologists found and dug up Roman pottery kilns. One famous archaeologist, Basil Brown, who found the Sutton Hoo ship burial, worked here in 1947.
The person who started the big dig for the Anglo-Saxon village was Stanley West. He became interested in Anglo-Saxon England while working at the Ipswich Museum. In 1947, he helped dig up the Roman kilns. During this work, they found early Anglo-Saxon pottery pieces. This showed that a later Anglo-Saxon settlement was also on the site.
In 1958, Stanley West met Professor Vera Evison. He asked her why archaeologists focused on Anglo-Saxon burial sites instead of villages. She said villages were much harder to find. West told her about the Anglo-Saxon pottery at West Stow. Intrigued, she soon began digging at the site.
Stanley West returned to England in 1965 and took over the West Stow excavation. For the next seven years, he and his team dug up a large area. The team included supervisors, laborers, and about 30 volunteers from universities and the local area. They carefully removed layers of soil to uncover the Anglo-Saxon village. Towards the end, they even used a new method to find seeds and plant remains.
Rebuilding History: 1977–Today
After the digging finished, the local council first thought about turning the area into a rubbish dump. But they changed their minds! Instead, they formed the West Stow Saxon Village Trust. This group decided to rebuild some of the Anglo-Saxon buildings. This was an experimental archaeology project. It helped them learn how Anglo-Saxons built their homes. Students from Cambridge University helped with this work. They only used building methods and tools that would have been available in Anglo-Saxon times.
One of the halls found at West Stow was also rebuilt at the Bishops Wood Environmental Centre. This "Saxon Hall" took four years to build. It was used to teach schoolchildren about life in the Early Medieval period. Sadly, it burned down in 2008 from a cooking fire. But it was rebuilt over the next two years! At its reopening in 2011, an expert spoke in Old English, and a reenactor played Raedwald, an Anglo-Saxon king.
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village has also been used for filming!
- The fan-made short film Born of Hope (2009), which is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings movies, was mostly filmed here.
- The 1999 ITV sitcom Dark Ages was also filmed at the village.
Images for kids
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The village.
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The Oldest House, constructed in 1974.
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The Sunken House, constructed in 1976.
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The interior of the Sunken House, constructed in 1976.
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The Weaving House, constructed in 1984.
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The interior of the Weaving House, constructed in 1984.
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The interior of the Living House, constructed in 1987.
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The Farmer's House, constructed in 2007. Attached to the building is an experimental wooden-slate roof.
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The interior of the Farmer's House, constructed in 2007.
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The Workshop, constructed in 1991.
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The interior of the Workshop, constructed in 1991.
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The craft building.
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The information hut.
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The information centre at West Stow.
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One of the reconstructed Anglo Saxon houses at West Stow
See also
