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What Teachers and Children Have Said So Far

“The story of Beowulf and Grendel was good because it had fighting and gory in it. I

was Beowulf, so I liked it even more than before!” Thomas, Morley Newlands Academy.

“Lady Freya, this has been the best day of my life!” One of many!

“Dear Lady Freya, we went to the best place ever! We had to thresh the wheat which

was great and when we rolled it in our hands it felt awesome. As we kneaded the

dough a smile was upon my face. Although the shield was heavy it was the best activity

we did! The Beowulf and Grendel story was the best myth I have heard. Thank you for

a great time”. Josh, Asquith Primary School.

“Children were engaged ALL day! 10+” Poppy Brown, White Laithe Primary.

“I would say it is a very worthwhile and unique experience with dedicated and

knowledgeable staff. The hands on element really engages children and gives ideas to

extend in the classroom. I definitely would book again! Great activities, fantastic staff

and superb resources. Thank you for a fantastic experience. 10!” Catherine Walton, Carrfield

Primary Academy.

“We will book again for next year. Staff fantastic, helpful and excellent manner with

the children. Brilliant experience, built on students prior knowledge, fun and hands-on

learning. 10+ Mrs. Stockdale, Middleton Primary.

“We will cover this topic every two years and is the perfect way to immerse the

children in the experience.” 10. Julie Jones, Keresforth Primary.

“Fantastic day, really enjoyed it.” 10. Chloe Wilford, All Saints C of E

“We had a brilliant day. I will be recommending it to all my teacher friends! 10.

Invaluable. Children remember more from this one day than ½ term teaching in

classroom! The children, myself and the TA all thought the day was fab! Thank you!”

Bev King, St. Chads C of E Primary.

“My class do struggle with concentration, but you hooked them all. 10+” Andy Stout, Kerr

Mackie Primary.School.

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Introduction

This education pack outlines what you need to know to get involved with

our new Anglo-Saxon re-enactment days at Temple Newsam, with “Dunstan’s Hall – The Anglo-Saxons Are Here!”

Where Are We? Page 3

How to join the Loides tribe - booking a day Page 4

Timings Page 6

What is re-enactment? Page 7

The real Horrible History! Page 10

So what happens next? Page 11

Why are we here today? Page 11

Activity 1 – The Sorting Page 12

Activity 2 – Bread making from grain to platter Page 15

Activity 3 – WINWAED! Page 15

Activity 4 – Beowulf and Grendel! Page 16

More useful information for teachers Page 18

National Curriculum Links for Dunstan’s Hall Page 18

Anglo Saxon names for your class Page 23

Anglo Saxon Gods and Goddesses Page 24

Typical food in Anglo-Saxon Times Page 25

Anglo-Saxon Clothing Page 26

Honey, oat and spiced Cakes recipe to try Page 27

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Where Are We?

Dunstan’s Hall lies within the complex of Home Farm, at Temple Newsam, in

Leeds. For sat-nav purposes our postal address is Temple Newsam Estate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 0AD.

The OS Grid reference is SE359322. The nearest city is Leeds.

By train: The nearest train station is Cross Gates, 1.5 miles away.

By car: Temple Newsam is just off the M1 (junction 46 from either north or

south).

By bus: Contact the First Buses website at www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/leeds or call 0845 6045460

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How to Join the Loides Tribe…

Booking a day at Dunstan’s Hall – The Anglo Saxons Are Here!

Please phone the Heritage Education Officer for Parks & Countryside, on (0113)

3367559 or email her at Julia.w.thorpe@leeds.gov.uk.

She needs to know the name of your school, address, contact email, at least

three date options for each class, age, year group and number of your children.

Dunstan’s Hall can seat one class of approximately 30 children and up to five

teachers. It is not possible to “split” the day and work at Dunstan’s Hall for half a

day and do half a day at Temple Newsam House. We immerse the children in

experiences that transport them into the past long enough to benefit from hands-

on learning. These activities are designed for KS2 children from the ages of 7-11.

Julia will agree a provisional date in her diary and send you this

Information Pack and a booking form. Please confirm the booking

by telephone or email within three days of your initial enquiry.

Due to popular demand, provisional bookings cannot be held open for more than

three days and are on a “first-come-first-serve” basis. Please book well in

advance. We open Dunstan’s Hall at the beginning of March each year – and

March is booked up by Christmas the previous year!

Dunstan’s Hall re-opens its doors after the summer break on

October 1st until the middle of November, and again from March 1st

to the end of July each year on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and

Thursdays. Re-enactments are very popular activities and many schools choose

to book more than one date, so their whole year group can travel back in time.

Please return your completed booking form within 21 days with a cheque

for the full amount, made payable to Leeds City Council. This amount is non-

refundable. You will be sent a confirmatory email with Health & Safety

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information attached, as confirmation of your booking, and will be given your

receipt on the day you arrive.

All cheques should be made payable to Leeds City Council and

posted to The Reception Office, Stable Courtyard, Temple Newsam

Estate, Leeds, LS15 OAD. Our historical re-enactments are

extremely popular and you should be prepared to be flexible about the dates you

want. Please don’t book your coach until you have confirmation of your dates!

A day in“Dunstan’s Hall” cost £180.00 for a class from a

Leeds school and £210.00 for a class from a school outside

Leeds. Teachers and adults go free. But don’t worry, the serfs won’t

be doing much sitting down!

For site visits before your school attends: Home Farm opens at

10.00 am to 4.00 pm (winter) last entry at 3.15 pm and 10.00 to

5.00 pm (summer) last entry at 4.15 pm. Summer opening begins

and ends with British Summer Time.

The Site: Temple Newsam is a 1,500 acre estate three miles east

of Leeds city centre. It has a Tudor-Jacobean mansion, a Stable

Courtyard with café and toilets, a 17th-19th century farm with rare

breeds, Capability Brown parkland, acres of woodlands, ponds and gardens.

What is Dunstan’s Hall? It is an educational re-enactment

activity designed for up to 30 Key Stage 2 children and is led by

the Heritage Education officer and Education and Event Visitor

Assistants from Parks and Countryside. This is the same team that

has brought you “The Tudors at Temple Newsam” for the past 14 years.

Your group should arrive at Home Farm entrance gates ready to

start at 10.00 am. If you have a slightly larger class we may be

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able to accommodate you at our discretion, but you should accept that this may

cause crowding in limited spaces as Dunstan’s Hall sits within a 17th -19th century

farm complex. Be aware that if you are more than 15 minutes late, we will have

to adjust the amount of content in the morning sessions so that you can still

have lunch and not compromise the start time of the afternoon sessions.

You will be greeted by our staff at the Farm gate at 10.00 am and

given a short Health and Safety talk. You will then be taken to

Dunstan’s Hall, where you can store coats, bags and food. You will

then have the purpose of the day explained. We begin with “The Sorting” which

expands on any work you may have already done. This will weave in various

characters important to the plot and get the children “in role” as Anglo-Saxons

for the day. You will be working on the Farm, not at the House.

If you would like the children to attend wearing

Anglo-Saxon clothes, you are very welcome to work

with your children’s

parents to create

simple clothing for

them in linen or wool.

Please do not bring children wearing pseudo-

medieval, Party Princess, Rapunsel-eque, or Robin

Hood outfits, as they will be considered strange

curiosities in Dunstan’s Hall! Mop caps, flat caps,

waistcoats and velvet cloaks did not exist in 655

AD!

We are hoping to be able to provide a number of authentic clothes for your

children to wear, over the coming months but this work has to be done in our

House Elves free time… and they don’t get much of that!

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Timings:

Activity 1: THE SORTING is the introductory activity from 10.00 am to 10.30

am. Literally it will sort out your group into the three main classes of people

found in Anglo-Saxon society and will set the scene for the day. There were

distinct social divisions and do’s and don’ts in Anglo Saxon Society too.

Activity 2: BREAD MAKING is the main activity from 10.30 am to 12.00 noon

and guides the children from sheaf of wheat to finished loaf (we bake the bread

so you can take it back to school.) This activity will also include a lot of

background teaching about our daily lives.

FOOD CAN BE EATEN from about 12.00 noon until 12.45 pm. Children will visit

the toilets and wash their hands. If they eat quickly, your class may look around

the farm with your supervision. This gives us time to bake the bread!

Activity 3: WINWAED! runs from 1.00 pm to 1.45 pm with the tale of the

recent and very nearby Battle of Winwaed and realistic fyrd battle practice with

wooden swords and shields!

Activity 4: BEOWULF AND GRENDEL is from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm with an

experienced storyteller or “Skop” weaving this ancient tale. The day ends at 2.30

pm. In bad weather activities are run from Dunstan’s Hall, which is heated.

Please control your class: Bring enough experienced adult

helpers to maintain control of your class at all times. If you do not

control them sufficiently for everyone to remain safe, we will

assume control. We have a slave collar and chains and may demonstrate these

on ill-disciplined folk (including teachers). As a last resort, children

will be “banished” from the hall with a teacher. The activities make

up the main body of experience during the day. A Health & Safety

Sheet for the activities is available by email. You are welcome to

make a free “Risk Assessment Site Visit” prior to your visit.

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What is re-enactment?

Explain to the children before they arrive what re-enactment is, that we are

creating a world from the past, to help people today understand what life was

like. Effectively for the day you will become newly arrived Anglo-Saxons to our

shores. Your new address is Dunstan’s Hall, Neu Hussum, Loides, Elmet,

Northymbrareece, Angelnland.

You and your class will have different ways, different clothing and a different

way of speaking from us, but we will welcome you to join our “tribe” – the

Loides people. Both children and teachers will be guided by experienced staff, in

costume and in role all day. We will be re-enacting the kind of lives that people

actually lived here at that date…and so will you!

It is a brilliant opportunity to “compare and contrast” 655AD

with 2014 – but please do not make comparisons whilst you are

with us at Dunstan’s Hall. We want you all to become immersed

in Anglo-Saxon life, so please do not remind your class of the

“modern” lives you have left behind. That is something you can

explore when you return to school.

Encourage your teaching staff and children to forget all modern words and

phrases. As a re-enactor with 30 years experience, I often have to remind

teachers that “we have no bananas today!” We have no cars or buses. We have

our own feet and richer folk have horses, though Dunstan owns several carts.

We trade with people from the continent, who can get us silk and gold thread

for decorating rich attire, but most of us wear clothes made from wool and

linen. We do not wear “trainers”, but shoes and boots made of leather.

We have no electrical items. Electricity is a word that has not

been invented yet. We know what it does, because it thunders

and lightens when Thor gets angry and sends storms to lash

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our houses. We have never heard of an iPod, or a computer and we amuse

ourselves by telling stories, singing, playing music on lyres or on flutes and

drums. We know nothing of telephones or “mobiles” and talk to each other face

to face.

Anyone who arrives from any distance is given food and a

place by the fire, but in return they will tell us what has

been happening where they came from. The “news” could

be several days, weeks or even several months old.

We eat food that we grow ourselves or that we harvest from the field edges and

woods. We have never seen bananas, pineapples, chocolate, tomatoes or

potatoes. Chips come from wood that is being chopped with an axe!

We grow wheat, barley, oats and rye, to make bread.

We grow crops like turnips, swede, carrots, peas, beans,

garlic and onions. We grow flax to make linen for our

clothes. We keep animals – cows for meat and milk,

butter, cream and cheese and have sheep and goats for wool and for their meat.

We keep pigs, for their meat, but also hunt their wild

cousin – the boar. We keep chickens, ducks and geese

for their meat and eggs. From the wildwood we gather

berries, fruit and nuts. We hunt red and roe deer, and

harvest mushrooms and berries in autumn. We fish

trout and salmon from the river at the bottom of the

hill, and catch ducks and wild geese from the reed beds

along the shores. Traders visit us from across the sea

and from the south, by using the river as their watery road. We get salt,

smoked fish, amber, glass beads, walrus tusks and whale bones to carve, gold

and silver, silks, fine linen, spices and swords, axes and spearheads, some of

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which we keep and others that we trade or barter with more western and

southern folk.

We have axe-throwing and spear-throwing competitions (which as children get

older and more battle worthy, becomes regular practice for joining the Fyrd.)

The learning potential of re-enactment is glued together with story-telling and

the suspension of disbelief to create the world of 655AD. Our staff will ignore or

question the use of words or descriptions of modern things and will consider

such talk to be a sign of madness or sickness. Such children will be questioned

seriously and then put outside on guard duty for the day until they regain their

senses!

The Real Horrible History!

Welcome to the year 655AD! Did you know that

this great estate of Temple Newsam encompasses

land originally owned by two Anglo-Saxon

Thanes, Dunstan and Glunier?

We know this from documentation and place-

names. Dunstan’s Hill, at Temple Newsam, lies just

beyond the slope of the front lawn of the “modern”

House.

The settlement, called Neu husum, which

means “new houses” on the upper slopes of the

River Aire, sits within the small Kingdom of

Elmete. It formed the root word for Temple

Newsam. The Knights Templar’s added the pre-

fix afterwards! Britons – called Wealas –

have lived in this area for a thousand years

before the Anglii, the Saxones, Frisii and

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Jutae arrived from the other side of the sea, and settled on this well-drained and

fertile soil. “Celtic” or Iron-Age roundhouses have been excavated nearby.

Grim’s Ditch, an extensive ditch and bank, runs along the east side of Temple

Newsam Estate and has links with the Aberford Dykes system. They may have

been dug as defences against the Roman occupation. The name “Grim’s Ditch”

comes from a nickname for Odin, Woden or Wotan, who also gave his name to

Wednesday or Wodens Day.

Archaeologists think Grim’s Ditch is older than the Anglo-Saxons, but may have

been used by them as a boundary marker.

The Anglii settled mainly in the north of England,

in what we now call Northumberland and Yorkshire.

The Saxones tended to stay in the south and

south-east. The north/south divide started very

early indeed! This island is made up of seven

major kingdoms … Northymbrareece, Mercia,

East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Wessex and Sussex.

The Picts or Scotti live north of

Northymbrareece and the native Celts -the Wealas - live in what we now

call Wales.

All the Anglii came because neighbours and relatives had been paid to fight as

mercenaries and defend towns from the Pictish or Scotti tribes from the far

north. Some went home and told stories of a green, well-drained land with rich

soils and forests. The native Britons were either killed in early skirmishes, or

migrated west to be with their own kin. Many married into Anglii tribes.

This is the story of us all, for we all live on a small island and it has been

invaded and settled by migrants who want a better life, ever since the end of the

ice-age 10,000 years ago. As the waves of the North Sea lap our shores, so

people will arrive and make their homes here. We really should be proud of each

and every strand of D.N.A. that makes us British today!

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So What Happens Next?

After the meeting, greeting and Health & Safety advice at

the Farm entrance, we will take you and your class down to

Dunstan’s Hall. If you do not have time to read the notes

on each session, the key words are: Local history,

Invasion, Settlement, The Kingdom of Elmete, The Battle

of Winwaed, Old English Language, Laws and Justice, Place names, Village life,

Farm animals & their link to food, Breadmaking, Art and Culture, Creative crafts,

Construction skills, British Wildlife and Storytelling.

Why are we here today?

The day begins: 10.00 am outside the Farm.

Dunstan and his wife Freya live here at Neu Husum. Dunstan is a Thane – one of

the King’s Lords. Freya has several high-born friends. Aelfreda (the Wise)

supervises any newcomers until they can find their feet, and Cornwurma (Scarlet

Dye) help her do this and also manage the Hall. Freofreond (woman friend) and

Hildeburg (War Fortress) help Freya train the Fyrd in battle practice when

Dunstan is away. This day, he is hunting a band of thieves who stole three cows

and he has taken the dogs with him! Woden curse those

miserable thieves!

As incomers, it is presumed that you and your class are

“wealas” (Welsh) which means “stranger”. Incomers or not,

you will be capable of making bread and preparing food, to

maintain our Hall and feed our animals and also train to become

warriors – both lads and maids – so we can keep our lands and

our living safe against enemies. We are a small settlement and

we need all the help we can get.

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Activity 1: The Sorting - Freemen, Serfs and Slaves

Our world is supported by a great Ash tree called Yggdrasil. Its limbs and

branches support the heavens and its roots lead to the underworld. We call it the

world tree. And our society is like a tree. At the top are the Cyning or King and

Queen and their Aetheling, their blood relatives. Below them, are Ealdormen –

the ruling nobility - who govern a Shire and are powerful. They administer justice

and call out the fyrd and lead them to battle.

Where the trunk of the tree is, we have Thanes – like Freya’s husband Dunstan.

Good service by a ðegn (ð is pronounced “th”) can bring rich gifts, more land and

he could rise to be an eolderman. Most are the 'king's ðegns' and take their

orders from - and gave their loyalty directly to - the king. A thane who does not

answer his king’s call can have his lands confiscated, be made to pay a fine or

even lose his life. He oversees building and repair work on fortresses and bridges

and he may make safe any deer-fences at the king's residences. He must be able

to equip a guard ship – including providing some men to sail and row in her. He

must also be able to guard the coast, and attend his Lord or King.

A ðegn's wereguild (blood-price) is set at 1,200 shillings. If a man kills a Thegn,

he must pay his kin (his family) this much money to recompense them for their

loss. Ðegns are not restricted to the king's service, because the greatest eorls

also have their own ðegns. There are several hundred Thanes, noblemen who

own at least five hides of land. A hide of land is considered enough land for a

family to live on the crops and animals it can sustain.

Lower down still, are several classes of men and women, who sit within the great

trunk of the tree and are its mainstay. They are all called Freemen or Ceorls –

and fall into three classes : Geneatas, Kotsetla and Gebur.

Ceorls (carls) are freemen, farmers and independent householders with land.

Ceorls are 'folcfry' (folk-free), in the eyes of the community. They bear arms and

are considered 'fyrd worthy' and 'moot worthy'; they serve in the fyrd and go to

folk meetings (moots). The geneatas, (Jenny-art-az) are the peasant aristocracy

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who pay rent to their lord. The word “geneat” means “companion”. They have

servants to do their work for them and own a sword. They work their Lord’s

fields, build and fence fortifications, bring strangers to the Lord’s Hall, and serve

as messengers.

The kotsetla, (Kot-set-la) pays no rent but does many duties for their lord,

though they often rent at least 5 acres of land.

The gebur, (Geb-ur) are totally dependent on their lord and do a lot of labour

service for him. They work two days a week for their Lord and three days a week

at springtime and harvest. When a gebur dies, his Lord takes everything.

The next main class of person, who forms the main trunk of our society is a Serf

or Bondsman.

Serfs are not freemen, but are higher up the tree than a slave. Serfs work

many hours for their Lord and also pay him rent in coin. He is given land, tools

and animals but these all revert to his Lord when he dies. He can rent at least

five acres from his Lord, which he farms but does not own. Serfdom is less

binding than slavery. Serfs mostly work the land, whereas a slave can be

employed in almost any occupation and can be sold by his or her master.

Deep in the roots of our society are the Theow – (thi-ow) the slaves.

Slaves can be bought and sold or given away like property. They are not

allowed to marry and their children are born into slavery. They may have been

free men or women captured in battle or even people who have been made

slaves because they committed a crime and were unable to pay the wergeld –

the fines. A slave can be beaten and even killed by his or her master.

This great tree of our society grows in the soil of this land. Our land is very

important to us. We divide it into “hides”. A hide is the amount of land one

family needs to support itself. A hide can be as small as 40 acres and as large as

four square miles. But on average, 120 acres is acceptable as a measurement.

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The smallest measurement for us is the poppy seed. It is only ¼ of a Barleycorn

or a 1/3 of an inch long. The largest measurement is a hundred – which is also

called a Wapentake – and covers twelve thousand acres or more.

Each teacher and child will be sorted into a particular class of society and will

work as such for the day. They will become Freemen, Serfs and Slaves.

Larger classes than 30 are not encouraged as it is difficult to fit them all in the

Hall. A minimum number of 2 teachers plus 2 teaching assistants or parents will

be required for a day at Dunstan’s Hall.

Activity 2: Threshing, winnowing, grinding and baking.

One of the most important foods that we grow is grain. We have fields of wheat,

oats, rye and barley. Your first job will be to

help us make fresh bread and Freya and her

ladies will show you how it is done. You will

find out about other food we eat as well. A

variety of fresh food will be on display.

At Lunchtime – Teachers and children will

feast with us in Dunstan’s Hall. They must

bring their own food and drink. Our staff

will bake the bread and return at 1.00 pm. This

bread can be taken with you.

Activity 3: WINWAED!

Your class is told about the constant need for

vigilance and that we must be able to defend our

Lord and Lady, the Hall, the village, food stores,

crops and farm animals from raiding parties. This risk is part of everyday life.

They may be called upon by their Ealdorman to gather soldiers to fight an enemy

army and defend the Kingdom.

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The recent history of the Battle of Winwaed - fought in the year 654-5 AD -

will be told, to illustrate the reason for regular battle practice.

The new Christian king – Oswy - killed King Penda of Mercia at the place called

Winwaed. Many of us are still not of that faith. We follow the old gods and our

tiny Kingdom of Elmete sits like a hazelnut between two great boulders,

Northymbrareece and Mercia and we must be careful not to be crushed!

We must practice our war craft and make sure

we are as strong as we can be for the day when

wealas folk come raiding or wanting battle with

us. The class goes outside to the practice

ground, with swords and shields. Battle practice

begins with a Health and Safety talk about

weapons.

There will be no actual person-to-person

(combat contact) fighting for the children.

Children and teachers will “attack and fight” two life-sized willow and hay-stuffed

“warriors” attached to wooden frames, spaced out evenly to give each child

“sword-swinging” space to attack and defend themselves. Basic battle tactics and

types of weapons are discussed and demonstrated.

The children form two rows and run in turn to attack the Willowmen, who are

weighted and will swing and move. Our staff may demonstrate hand-to-hand

combat wearing metal helmets and shields. They may also demonstrate the

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shield-wall and show the group other weapons commonly used - seaxes and

spears, but these will not be used by children.

Activity 4: Beowulf and Grendel!

Your class will travel back to Dunstan’s Hall.

Once the shields and swords have been hung

up, everyone sits round the hearth.

We introduce the ancient art of storytelling and illustrate it with a simple,

shortened version of the most famous Anglo-Saxon poem in the world - the story

of Beowulf and Grendel. This version – taken directly from the Old English – but

translated by the Education Officer, keeps the metre, rhythm and delicious

richness of the original poem but is more suitable for children within a ¾ hour

time-slot.

Your day with us ends at 2:30 pm outside Dunstans Hall with farewells

and goodbyes.

Wé healdan t ðú á in ús heortan bréostcofan, ealoð bearn swá gebroðru ond geaweostrenra! We grétan ðú! ( Old English)

We hee-eld-an‘t thee a’, in us hee-or-tan bree-ost-cofan, ee-al-oth

We will hold you all, in our hearts for ever, little

bearn, Swar gebroth-roo ond gea-wee-ost-ren-ra!

bairns, as brothers and sisters.

We greet-an thee! (Pronunciation) We salute you! (Modern translation).

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More useful information for teachers

The Heritage Education Officer has done a lot of research on Anglo-Saxon life and

regularly networks with a number of historical re-enactors and crafts people. If

you have any questions about what to expect, and what to bring with you, please email or ring Julia for more information on (0113) 3367559.

Links to the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2

History

Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and

Scots

Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and

kingdoms, place names and village life

Anglo-Saxon art and culture

Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne

A local history study

A depth study linked to one of the British areas of study listed above

A study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are

reflected in the locality (this can go beyond 1066)

A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupil’s

chronological knowledge beyond 1066

Changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment from

the Anglo-Saxons to the present…

We will tell you about the history of the area now known as “Yorkshire”, the

history of this part of Leeds and how it was invaded by in-coming tribes from

Angeln, who fought the Britons and settled in the small kingdom of Elmete (so-

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called after the great forest of Elmete, which once stretched from the eastern

slopes of the Pennines to the rich agricultural lands around York.) The Estate was

owned by two Anglo-Saxon thanes, Dunstan and Glunier. We will also describe

the social history, lives, laws and punishments of the early Anglo-Saxon era.

Geography

Locational knowledge

Name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical

regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key

topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers, and

land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have

changed over time.

Human and physical geography

Describe and understand key aspects of:

Human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic

activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources

including energy, food, minerals and water.

We will tell you about the history of our landscape at Temple Newsam, from early

mining and charcoal production, to the smelting of steel for blades, helmets and

cooking knives; from the keeping of flocks of sheep to the production of woollen

cloth, which the Loides tribe are already well-known for and to the weather

conditions on the day of your visit to discuss the effect of weather on the

landscape and on our farming.

Science

Animals, including humans: Identify that animals, including humans, need

the right types and amount of nutrition and that they cannot make their own

food; they get nutrition from what they eat. Identify that humans and some

other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.

Living things and their habitats: recognise that living things can be grouped

in a variety of ways. Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify

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and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment.

Recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose

dangers to living things.

Evolution and inheritance: (Year 6) Recognise that living things have changed

over time… Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but

normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents. Identify how

animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and

that adaptation may lead to evolution.

We have an excellent variety of different species of rare breeds at Home Farm,

some specifically linked to the early breeds of domesticated animals kept by

people in Anglo-Saxon times. These include Veynol and Shetland cattle,

Hebridean, Boreray and Manx Loaghtan sheep, Tamworth pigs, our Crollwitzer

Turkey (possibly) and Speckled Sussex chickens.

English

Spoken language

Pupils should be taught to:

Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers

Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge

Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions

Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different

purposes

Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating,

hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas

Speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard

English

Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play,

improvisations and debates

Reading – comprehension

Pupils should be taught to:

Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they

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read by:

Listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-

fiction and reference books or textbooks

Increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including fairy

stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these orally

We will be telling the story of Beowulf and Grendel – one of the oldest stories in

the Old English language. It will be told in modern English, but with some Old

Englis, keeping the distinctive and iconic rhythm and flow of the original work.

Every element of the re-enactment involves story-telling and use of descriptions

to paint a picture of the world of the Anglo-Saxons.

Children will understand that the modern English they know today has developed

from languages much further back in history and that many words come from

Greek, Latin, Scandinavian and Germanic roots. They will understand that

language is not fixed, but is adapted and changes dynamically to suit the people,

their situation and their influences.

There is also a great deal of information available on the farm, from simple chalk

boards with animals names on, to detailed interpretation about the livestock and

history of the farm and its buildings.

Design and Technology

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Make

Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform

practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing)

accurately

Evaluate

Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology

have helped shape the world

Technical knowledge

Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce

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more complex structures.

Cooking and nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and

apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of

cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of

human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables

pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in

later life.

Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet. Prepare

and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of

cooking techniques. Understand seasonality, and know where and how a

variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

We will tell you what kind of food we eat and where it comes from, from milk,

butter and cheese to eggs, fish and a wide variety of meats. We will also tell you

about the importance of selecting the strongest animals to strengthen our

livestock, by using some varieties for their genetic diversity, physical strength,

adaptability and taste.

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Useful Anglo Saxon Names for your class to adopt

Name Meaning Name Meaning

Aelf Elf Heard Brave

Aelfreda Wise woman Helm Helmet

Aethel Noble Here Army

Beald Bold Herian Praise

Beorht Bright Hwit White

Beorn Child Leof Beloved

Beorncwēn Warrior Queen Maer Famous

Blaec Black Mund Protection

Brun Brown Os Divine

Burg Fortress Raed Good counsel

Cen Keen Ric Rule

Cuth Famous Sae Sea

Cynebeald Brave Sefte Gentle, soft

Cwen Queen Snel Bold

Deor Dear, brave Stan Stone

Dun Dark Swiþ, craeftig Strong

Ead Riches Sunu Son

Eadig Rich Thur Thor

Eald Old Theod Tribe

Ealdwif Old Woman Thryth Strength

Ecg Sword Weald Power

Flaed Beauty Weard Guard

Frith Peace Wig or Gar Warrior

Gifu Gift Wulf Wolf

God Good Grim Fierce

Heard Brave Milde, sefte gentle

Earm Poor Frod, gleaw Wise

Yfel Nasty, evil breosthord or

Heorte

Heart

Awefan Weave Grene Green

Names you have researched for yourself

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Anglo-Saxon Gods and Goddesses

Woden Main God of all gods, God of War, poetry and consort of

Frigge

Freyia Goddess of Fertility and ruler of the Elves

Balder God of Immortality and light

Wade God of the Sea

Eostre Goddess of Birth and Springtime, rebirth and the Dawn

Hel Goddess of Death

Thor God of Thunder

Tiw God of the sky, and God of Justice

Loki God of Cunning and Trickery

Wayland God of Metalworking

Eorth Goddess of the Earth

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Typical Food in Anglo-Saxon times

If you wanted to bring food for your lunchtime meal

that was more “authentic” and similar to the kind of

“traveling” food Anglo-Saxons ate, you could do a lot

worse than bring bacon, or cheese “butties” made with

wholemeal or spelt bread cobs, wrapped and tied in a

simple linen cloth. Drinks should include water, (even

though children would often drink very weak ale) juices

and thin milkshakes that approximate “whey” – the liquid drained from the

cheese-making process. Like us, the Anglo-Saxons would only have a more

complicated meal that required cooking, when they were not traveling about.

Bread, bacon, cheese, milk, eggs and fish were part of the diet, although

they were probably expensive and not always affordable for poor folk. Milk,

butter and cheese was common from sheep, goats and cows, although this would

not have been available all year round, as it is today. Older breeds of farm

animals only give milk in the spring and summer so fresh cheese and butter

would also have been seasonal. Eggs are also seasonal, (hens laying all year

round are a modern phenomenon) and were either made into a type of omelette

or eaten hard-boiled or mixed in wine and used as a thickening agent.

Most people ate bread, with beans, peas and root vegetables cooked as a a

“briw”, stew or broth, supplemented occasionally by cheese, fish and fowls and

more rarely, by red meat. Of the Anglo Saxon skeletons examined from this

period, over a quarter show evidence of some kind of malnutrition, especially in

childhood. Yet neither scurvy or rickets are common, showing that fruit, nuts and

dairy were eaten.

Honey was the only way of sweetening dishes in Anglo-Saxon times and

frequently appears in the records as payment for rent. It was probably most

often used to make mead. For all society, ale was the basic drink. Although it

was brewed to be weak, it was consumed in great quantities. Mead, made from

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honey, was consumed on special occasions. And in Anglo-Saxon times, food was

served, not in separate courses, but all at once. Guests also brought their own

knife, spoon, wooden bowl and drinking vessel.

Spices and seasoning (both fresh and dried) were widely used, with pepper

being a very important, but a very expensive ingredient. Cumin we know was

used to flavour a warming broth, as was coriander, ginger, cinnamon, bay

leaf, and mustard we know was also being grown in England in Anglo-Saxon

times.

Salt was a precious traded commodity reaching all areas of Anglo-Saxon England

from the coast and from salt springs in Worcestershire and Cheshire. Salt was

vital in food preservation, as in salt cod, and to season food. High class pottery

was used to store this expensive seasoning.

Plates were not made of plastic or ceramic “pot”, but from wood, and they were

called “platters”. Bowls were often made of wood. Drinking vessels were made

from the hollow horns of cattle, or wood, and called “cups” or if you were really

rich, made from silver or even gold.

Anglo-Saxon Clothing

Anglo-Saxon clothing was made of either linen or wool. The poorer you were, the

more it tended to itch!

Boys wore simple tunics with breeches and

a belt – a shorter mid-calf- length version

of this pattern design below. The triangular

pieces fit between the main side seams, to

spread the width outwards from the waist.

Girls wore an ankle length dress, not

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always with sleeves, that could be as simple as a tube of fabric, held together

back and front with a pair of clasps. Under this they would wear a linen dress

with sleeves that looks very similar to this design. They too wore a belt.

If you are thinking of making clothes for your class to wear in 655AD … use

this pattern to get the shape correct. Fabric was made on household looms that

were often only a metre (3 feet) wide. People who made clothes from such fabric,

used every bit of the cloth, as it represented hours of work for the women of the

household. By clever cutting, a women’s dress or men’s shorter tunic could easily

be made out of two metres of fabric. Women’s dresses and under-dresses came

to the ankle and men’s tunics came to mid-thigh when tied round with a belt.

Honey, Oat and Spiced Cakes for your class to make

250g oats (use Scottish porridge oats), 125g unsalted butter; 50g chopped dried

apricots or dried apples, 4 large tablespoon cheap runny honey, 1 level teaspoon

ground cinnamon.

Weighing scales, saucepan, wooden spoon, greaseproof paper, baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 180C. In a large saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, then

remove from the heat. Stir in the oats, dried fruit and honey until well mixed.

Spoon dollops of the mixture onto a well-greased baking sheet and flatten

slightly. Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden. Gently lift the

cakes onto a wire rack and leave to cool.