It’s that time of year again! For one day a year our Finds Supervisor, Sue Nelson, clambers into her time machine along with the pupils and staff from Meonstoke School in Hampshire’s Meon Valley and travels back to Saxon times.
The intrepid band of Saxons march from their school through the villages to visit Corhampton Church, built in 1020 AD, where they are given Saxon names for the day, are told stories from the beautiful wall paintings, study the sundial and measure the girth of the yew tree in the churchyard, which predates the church.
In a field behind the church the children are told the tale of Beowulf, which they then re-enact, jostling for a chance to be part of the dragon or to slay Beowulf (played with great dash by Robin Isles from the Hampshire Cultural Trust).
The afternoon sessions are when the children have a chance to learn about archaeology, studying different artefacts with our Finds Supervisor, excavating in a sandpit, making jewellery or building the church from wooden blocks. The whole day is one of learning through fun and is overseen by Peter O’Sullivan of the Saxons in the Meon Valley project and Linda Coumbe, Headmistress.
By Sue Nelson, Finds Supervisor