Viking Living History House in Sweden destroyed by fire

A Living History museum and house dedicated to Viking history was destroyed by fire on the weekend in Sweden. The house was located in the town of Frosaker, which is in central Sweden near Stockholm. Five people were inside in the house when the fire started, but they all managed to escape.

Here are two news reports in Swedish:

http://vlt.se/nyheter/vasteras/1.1269798-hus-brann-ned-helt

http://vlt.se/nyheter/vasteras/1.1269988-inget-kvar-av-vikingaby

And here is a posting from Uhara: The Gazette, with her report on the fire, as well as photos of the site.

Cosmeston: Archaeologists express concern over potential loss of 'living' medieval village

Archaeologists concerned about the future of Cosmeston Medieval Village have been joined by Penarth Assembly Member Vaughan Gething, in calling on the Vale Council to think again on its proposals for the site.

As previously reported, the council identified changes to the Medieval Village as part of proposed savings agreed at the end of February.

The proposal involves opening the village up as free entry, resulting in a reduction in staff and savings of £60,000 per year.

Click here to read this article from the Penarth Times

Saxonhouse offers visitors the chance to see 7th century life

If one is interested in experiencing how people lived in Anglo-Saxon England, a trip to Lincolnshire might offer some unique insights. In the village of East Firsby a reconstruction of the 7th-century home has been built by Steven and Jude Jones. Based on archaeological evidence and built with traditional tools, Saxonhouse is an attempt to show how ordinary people lived and worked during the Early Middle Ages.

Saxonhouse is open to visitors, where Steven and Jude, both teachers, talk about daily medieval life as well as the history of England during the Middle Ages. They appear in costume and have a wide assortment of equipment and goods replicated from the Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Herstmonceux Festival taking place in late August

Herstmonceux Festival to honour 500 years since Henry VIII's accession
5 June 2009
Sussex Express


Battle cries and canon fire will thunder from Herstmonceux Castle for its 17th medieval festival. The event, from August 29 to 31, honours 500 years since the accession of Henry VIII, last of the medieval monarchs, to the throne.

More than 1,000 re-enactors dressed in battle gear will take part in castle sieges. Jousting with knights on horseback is also planned – a favourite pasttime of Henry VIII. Mounted skill-at-arms competitions are also sure to woo crowds.

Clive Geisler, the festival's event director, said: "England's Medieval Festival has grown fantastically since its humble beginnings in 1992. The first festival was held over a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon. We had half a dozen re-enactors involved in some skill at arms displays, and it proved to be quite popular with the public. When we repeated the exercise the next year, it proved to be even more popular and it just grew from there."

Authentic living history areas will let visitors enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of medieval kitchens. Ancient crafts, such as the making of chain mail and boots, are likely to fascinate festival visitors. Wandering jesters, minstrels and dancers will entertain both young and old. Crowds will also get the chance to see ancient hunting skills with falcons and other birds of prey.