A truly ancient experience
ICM is the main sponsor of an exciting Viking Longhouse project at the Ancient Technology Centre in Cranborne Chase, Dorset. Involvement in this project demonstrates the Institute’s commitment to the promotion of social, economic and community development. The Institute is pleased to support the Centre which is dedicated to inspiring and stimulating an interest in history and which, through its projects and activities, helps to develop new knowledge and skills amongst young people in the county.
Perhaps one of Dorset’s, if not the UK’s, best kept secrets is The Ancient Technology Centre. Hidden between the undulating hills and woods of Cranborne Chase, the ATC can be found up a narrow country lane behind Cranborne Middle School.
Visitors to the Centre will find a range of reconstructed Neolithic, Iron Age (Celtic), Roman and Anglo Saxon buildings, each one of which has been built using materials sourced from within a three mile radius of the Centre. Each building has been constructed using the appropriate traditional materials, methods and tools.
Jake went on to manage the Centre for 15 years. It is now managed Luke Winter, an archaeologist by training, who is ably supported by dedicated tutors Anthony Brown, Reg Miles, Cara Jenkins, Pascale Barnes and two volunteers, Clive Perrin and Euan Gilchrist.
Teamwork and skill development
Children work together to plough soil by hand and prepare it for sowing seeds and planting.
Since the founding of the Centre, more than 80,000 volunteers have been involved in its development. These volunteers include children from neighbouring school, pupils from other visiting schools, as well as adult volunteers. What’s more, children from three of Dorset’s four Learning Centres regularly help out at the Centre as part of their learning experiences. Luke says: “We provide a focused experience for children from the Learning Centres. It can be so difficult for them to be inspired. By giving them the opportunity to contribute to our projects we’ve seen them go through what can be described as life changing experiences, with some going on to study related subjects at college.”
Activities on offer vary immensely and are in line with the seasons. This enables visiting groups to experience a unique day of living in the past based on the practical tasks required to provide materials, buildings, tools and food for that time of the year. A wide range of ancient skills and crafts are available – the most popular include fire making, blacksmithing in a Roman forge and the gathering and preparation of wild and natural food during the summer. In winter, hedge-laying, fencing, coppicing and ancient woodland management make up the main activities, all of which contribute to the maintenance of the existing buildings and the site in general. And as tutor Anthony rightly points out, the Centre offers children experiences they may never have again. He says: “Nowhere else in the world does what we do, we are truly unique. We’re currently building a Roman road using chalk excavated on-site and the children are really enjoying the experience. It’s so worthwhile seeing them get so much from these activities. Where else can they do something like that?”
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