At the Ancient Technology Centre we work hard to provide a range of heritage craft courses from a range of skilled tutors.
Our 2023 season included Medieval Illuminations, willow basketry, Prehistoric pottery, Celtic woodcarving, Bronze Age basketry, Stone-Age Amber jewellery, Roman Knife Making, Viking Deer Butchery, Sprang and Cooking Like A Viking.
Our 2024 season includes our regular heritage crafters and some extra-special whole-weekend crafting events.
If you book on a Saturday or Sunday course for a small extra fee you can also book to stay the night night in our Viking Longhall!
Bring your own bedding and whatever you need to stay over for the night. A light breakfast of toast and cereals plus tea and coffee will be included in your stay.
There are toilets at one end of the Longhouse and a fully equipped modern kitchen at the other.
This is an open communal space and you will be sharing the sleeping benches either side of the fire with other course goers.
Additionally there will be a simple and filling historic meal option available on the Saturday night for an extra fee.
Once you have booked and paid for your day or weekend course your tutor will send you an Eventbrite code to access tickets.
Saturday 16th March 2024
Jack from Fazey Woodcraft
In this workshop you will learn all the skills and techniques needed to craft your own wooden spoons by hand, using just an axe & knife.
Suitable for absolute beginners as well as those who may already have some experience, rest assured you will be guided through each step slowly, thoroughly & enjoyably!
Participants can expect to finish the day with a brand new hobby to continue at home as well as a lovely wooden spoon or two.
10am-4pm
£95pp
Click below to find out more.
Saturday 20th April 2024
Craig Brooks the Saxon Forager.
As a Saxon reenactor he researches and tries historic recipes.
He has travelled across Europe cooking in historic places and Viking villages.
In this Deer Butchery course you’ll learn about some of the surprising historical uses for various parts of the animal, the best ways to cook each part and how to make sausages like a Viking!
Over 18s only.
10am-4pm £85pp
Click on the button below to find out more.
Saturday 20th April 2024
Ben Farnell from Hiowbeort
Ben is an expert scribe and limner. He has been practising calligraphy since 2018, but has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator all his life.
On this course using authentic materials Ben will teach you to write like a medieval scribe and create your own manuscript.
You will also create your own illuminations design on real vellum and learn about Medieval pigments.
10am-4pm £70 pp
Click below to find out more.
Saturday 20th April 2024
Vanessa Bunton from Puku B
Older than glass, humans have been looking for ways to adorn themselves from the earliest times and the answer washed up on the shores of northern Europe in the form of amber. Carved through the Mesolithic to create beautiful animals, Neolithic and Bronze Ages for jewellery, the Greeks called it Electra and the Vikings Freya's tears. Learn the history of amber and transform raw Baltic Amber to your own beautiful piece. You will also learn how to make cordage to hang your piece.
10am-4pm £80 pp
Click below to find out more.
Saturday 20th April 2024
Elle George from Rare Bear
Elle is a maker and artist and qualified silversmith and use the ancient technique Lost Wax process, which has been practiced for 1000s of years, and is a magical slow form of jewellery making.
In this workshop you will use wax to carve a unique piece of jewellery which will later be cast and sent to you. This is a half-day course. £100 per person for 2 brass pieces or £130 for one silver piece. This is a half day course.
To book please email the tutor: Elle ellgeorgem8@gmail.com
or through her website below.
Sunday 21st April 2024
Craig Brooks the Saxon Forager.
Craig has appeared on Channel 5’s “Vikings” series cooking for the presenter.
He has a youtube and podcast meeting people with historic interest.
In this Viking Cookery course you will learn everything from making butter, cheese & flatbreads, to making sausages and whatever else we can fit into the day.
10am-4pm £75pp
Click on the button below to find out more.
Sunday 21st April 2024
Vanessa Bunton from Puku B
Join experimental archaeologist Vanessa Bunton to learn the techniques used to create the iconic Whitehorse Cist basket. Made from organic fibres baskets are known to have been used from the palaeolithic onwards but they rarely survive.
This ancient technique has been used through time and around the world and fits into the modern home. Whether for curiosity, reenactment or home decor join us to understand the history of the basket and create your own to take home.
10am-4pm £80 pp
Click below to find out more.
Sunday 21st April 2024
Ben Farnell from Hiowbeort
Ben is an expert scribe and limner. He has been practising calligraphy since 2018, but has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator all his life.
On this course using authentic materials Ben will teach you to write like a medieval scribe and create your own manuscript.
You will also create your own illuminations design on real vellum and learn about Medieval pigments.
10am-4pm £70 pp
Click below to find out more.
Sunday 21st April 2024
Jenny Heath from Drakos Dottir
Jen is a specialist in Viking textiles and is a tutor at the Ancient Technology Centre.
On this one day course you will learn about the importance of textiles in the Viking Age.
You will be shown how to warp up your wooden tablets with naturally dyed wool and weave a 1,000 year old pattern.
All equipment provided.
10am-4pm £65pp
Click below to find out more.
We are delighted to offer a whole weekend of heritage textiles.
Over the two days you will be timetabled into 4 different workshops, each lasting a morning or afternoon. We will host 4 visiting experts in their field to lead each short course. Your workshops will be in:
- Bronze Age coiled basketry and twinning (Vanessa Bunton)
- An introduction to prehistoric textiles (Sally Pointer)
- Drop spinning and distaff spinning (Carey Fleiner)
- Viking nalbinding (Jenny Heath)
All workshops will take place in one of our replica historic buildings. You will be tutored in some of the history of the textile craft and spend most of your time practising the techniques.
PLUS see the add-ons below for a historic meal and evening entertainment
AND
Stay the night in the Viking Longhall.
If you book to attend our heritage textiles weekend (6th-7th July 2024) you will be emailed additional links for ticketed evening activities:
HISTORIC MEAL AND EVENING
For a small additional fee there is an option to stay for a historically-themed meal on Saturday evening after the workshop for a extra fee. Evening entertainment will be provided by the course tutors with a lecture on clothing through the ages in the Earthouse.
STAY THE NIGHT IN THE VIKING LONGHOUSE
For another fee (limited to 16 adult places) you can spend the night in the Longhouse sleeping communally on the long benches either side of the fire pit, and a small breakfast of toast and cereal will also be provided.
Please note that the historic meal, lecture and stay the night in the Viking Longhall is open to course attendees only. There will be other events in the Ancient Technology Centre year open to general public bookings.
Saturday 5th October 2024
Craig Brooks the Saxon Forager.
As a Saxon reenactor he researches and tries historic recipes.
He has travelled across Europe cooking in historic places and Viking villages.
In this Deer Butchery course you’ll learn about some of the surprising historical uses for various parts of the animal, the best ways to cook each part and how to make sausages like a Viking!
Over 18s only.
10am-4pm £85pp
Click on the button below to find out more.
Saturday 5th October 2024
Ben Farnell from Hiowbeort
Ben is an expert scribe and limner. He has been practising calligraphy since 2018, but has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator all his life.
On this course using authentic materials Ben will teach you to write like a medieval scribe and create your own manuscript.
You will also create your own illuminations design on real vellum and learn about Medieval pigments.
10am-4pm £70pp
Click below to find out more.
Sunday 6th October 2024
Craig Brooks the Saxon Forager.
Craig has appeared on Channel 5’s “Vikings” series cooking for the presenter.
He has a youtube and podcast meeting people with historic interest.
In this Viking Cookery course you will learn everything from making butter, cheese & flatbreads, to making sausages and whatever else we can fit into the day.
10am-4pm £75pp
Click on the button below to find out more.
Sunday 6th October 2024
Ben Farnell from Hiowbeort
Ben is an expert scribe and limner. He has been practising calligraphy since 2018, but has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator all his life.
On this course using authentic materials Ben will teach you to write like a medieval scribe and create your own manuscript.
You will also create your own illuminations design on real vellum and learn about Medieval pigments.
10am-4pm £70pp
Click below to find out more.
Sunday 6th October 2024
Jenny Heath from Drakos Dottir
Jen is a specialist in Viking textiles and is a tutor at the Ancient Technology Centre.
On this one day course you will learn about the importance of textiles in the Viking Age.
You will be shown how to warp up your wooden tablets with naturally dyed wool and weave a 1,000 year old pattern.
All equipment provided.
10am-4pm £65pp
Click below to find out more.
There is also the option of staying overnight in our Viking Longhouse for the Saturday night of each workshop weekend. This offer is only open to people attending workshops on either the Saturday, Sunday or both days!
This will include a basic historical meal and toast and cereals breakfast.
There will also be some evening activities including either a talk by the courses tutors in the Earthhouse or Viking Games outside.
There will be a small additional fee and tickets for
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