SHELF LIFE There was no upstairs – families and their animals slept on the ground floor – but rudimentary wall shelves were used for storage.
“DRINKING WAS A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNAL ACTIVITY WHICH THRIVED, DESPITE THE LACK OF ACCESS TO WINE”
TRIPLE THATCH These replica thatched roofs are made of reed mix, laid over a middle layer of water reed and a base of heather. Warm and largely waterproof, they were far from long-lasting or flame-retardant.
MODEL VILLAGE
CENTRAL HALL
Rebuilt between the 1970s and today, West Stow village has been reconstructed using the same building know-how, tools and materials as the AngloSaxons would have had.
The original settlement at West Stow was centred around a large hall – likely to be where a warrior chief or village elder would have lived. Small groups of family homes surrounded this larger hall.
SEWING TOOLS These pig-bone needles date from the sixth century. With such large eyes, they were used for wool, rather than fine thread.
THE GOOD LIFE Re-enactors at West Stow act out the simple life of the average Anglo-Saxon
THE BIG BOOK OF HISTORY ANSWERS
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