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West Stow is a small village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
in West
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include L ...
, England. The village lies north of Bury St. Edmunds, south of Mildenhall and
Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , in 2015 had a population of 24, ...
and west of the villages of
Culford Culford is a village and civil parish about north of Bury St Edmunds and north east of London in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. According to the 2011 Census the parish had a population of 578, a decrease from 620 recorded at ...
and Ingham in the area known as the
Breckland Breckland in Norfolk and Suffolk is a 39,433 hectare Special Protection Area (SPA) under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. The SPA partly overlaps the 7,544 hectare Breckland Special Area of Conservation. As a la ...
. This area is located near the Lark River Valley and was settled from around AD 420–650.
West Stow Hall West Stow Hall is a Tudor manor house in West Stow, Suffolk, England, near Bury St Edmunds. It was begun in around 1520 for Sir John Croftes, Master of the Horse to Mary Tudor. History In 1526 Sir John Croftes leased the remainder of West St ...
is to the North of the village. Its name may come from
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
''wēste stōw'' = "deserted place", rather than "western place". West Stow is home to the
West Stow Anglo-Saxon village West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village is an archaeological site and an open-air museum located near to West Stow in Suffolk, eastern England. Evidence for intermittent human habitation at the site stretches from the Mesolithic through the Neolithic, ...
where visitors may see reconstructed Anglo-Saxon houses, and often
living history Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
re-enactments of Dark Ages life. Fullers Mill Garden run by Perennial ( Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society) is open to the public.


Archaeology

A major archaeological dig from 1965–1972 headed by Dr. Stanley West of West Suffolk Archaeology Unit revealed a well preserved Anglo-Saxon site beneath the sands of the Breckland. Dr. West’s findings contributed to much of what is now known about this area. The site’s layout tells us much about the way of life in this period. This area is set up with a large hall in the middle of the village surrounded by other houses and structures. This suggests a tight-knit community, with the inhabitants using the large hall for events such as feasts and story-telling. During the excavation 69 houses, 7 halls and 7 other structures were found. The community lived with their extended families in their houses, with each house containing around 10 family members. The people of this area still traded with their homeland, as is evidenced by the glass in the necklaces and other metals that were found at the site, but not produced locally. The Anglo-Saxon community that was found here was not the first to settle in the area. The remains of circular huts with ditched enclosures suggest occupation by Iron Age farmers. There were also tools found that suggest that Mesolithic warriors had hunted in this area, and burial grounds and cultivation which suggest settlement of a Neolithic group. A pagan Anglo-Saxon burial ground was also excavated. The archaeologists revealed that the village moved the mile or so east to its current location following Christianisation.


On exhibit at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village

Alongside the recreated village are the
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...
collections formerly housed at Moyse's Hall Museum Bury St Edmunds. These are collections of archaeological findings that were made in the region between Devil's Dyke and the line between
Littleport Littleport is a large village in East Cambridgeshire, in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. It lies about north-east of Ely and south-east of Welney, on the Bedford Level South section of the River Great Ouse, close to Burnt Fen and M ...
and Shippea Hill (i.e. along the borderline of
East Cambridgeshire East Cambridgeshire (locally known as East Cambs) is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in Ely. The population of the District Council at the 2011 Census was 83,818. The district was formed on 1 April 197 ...
and
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include L ...
) from the Stone Age, the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
and the
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
. Findings include the Isleham Hoard of more than 6500 pieces of bronze, in particular swords, spear-heads, arrows, axes, knives, daggers, armour, decorative equipment (in particular for horses) and many fragments of sheet bronze, all dating from the late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. The swords show holes where
rivets A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...
or studs held the wooden
hilt The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pomme ...
in place (studs were usually made of bronze except for commanders who had silver-studded swords or for a commander-in-chief who had a gold-studded sword). Where Troy Once Stood,
I. Wilkens ''Where Troy Once Stood'' is a 1990 book by Iman Jacob Wilkens that argues that the city of Troy was located in England and that the Trojan War was fought between groups of Celts. The standard view is that Troy is located near the Dardanelles ...
, 2005, p. 90


Farming techniques

Among the more interesting findings of the excavations pertain to the farming aspect of this culture. This village, and others like it, replaced Roman farms after the imperial administration left Britain. The Anglo-Saxons settled in small villages that were generally self-sustaining. Within these self-sufficient communities there is evidence that these peoples were more likely to provide for themselves through a farming lifestyle than a foraging one. Within the archaeological remains there were more domesticated animal species found than wild animal species, indicating less dependence on hunting as a means of survival, and supports the idea that they were farmers. The settlers in this area were thought to be from a different area, with German descent being the most likely area, and as such it is interesting to see what farming techniques may be employed by this group. Since the landscapes are quite different, it would be interesting to see if the newly settled group would use a German style of farming in this new terrain. This area helps to provide some insight into these farming adaptations. Within animal husbandry, however, this group was more likely to use elements found within the native system of the country.


Notable residents

*
Edward Proger Edward Proger (16 June 1621 or 1618 – 31 December 1713) was a Member of Parliament for Brecknockshire/Breconshire, Page of Honour to King Charles I, Groom of the Bedchamber for King Charles II and Lord of the Manor of West Stow. He was Keeper ...
(1618/21-1713),
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
for
Breconshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...
,
Page of Honour A Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page. The on ...
to King Charles I,
Groom of the Bedchamber Groom of the Chamber was a position in the Household of the monarch in early modern England. Other ''Ancien Régime'' royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in En ...
for King Charles II and
Lord of the Manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as s ...
of West Stow Hall.


Notes


References

*Crabtree, Pam J. "Sheep, Horses, Swine and Kine: A Zooarchaeological Perspective on the Anglo-Saxon Settlement of England", ''Journal of Field Archaeology''; Vol. 16, No. 2 (summer 1989). 205–213 *Hodges, Richard. ''The Anglo-Saxon Achievement: archaeology & the beginnings of English Society.'' Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York. 1989 *Kelsey, Jim. "Stowical Saxons reveal their secrets." ''History Today,'' Vol. 49, Issue 10 (1999): 5 *"West Stow Village". ''British Heritage''; Vol. 19 Issue 3 (March 1998): 10–12


External links


St Edmundsbury Borough Council West Stow Anglo – Saxon Village
Retrieved January 2012
Friends of West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village
Retrieved January 2012
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village Official Site
Retrieved January 2012
Parish Registers 1558-1850 including information on the village and the main families
Retrieved June 2019 {{Authority control Villages in Suffolk Borough of St Edmundsbury Civil parishes in Suffolk