Cinderbury Iron Age Farm

[sulla]

Based in the Forest of Dean and hopefully opening this month, this project will allow people to live and work as part of a Celtic community, for up to a week (you can also go along as a day visitor).

A small excerpt from their website...

'This offers a unique opportunity to spend time living in a replica of an Iron Age village set in a secluded hilltop location in the beautiful Royal Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. This little known area of England has a unique place in the history of the iron industry and the Cinderbury site contains some of the earliest known examples of scowles - open cast mine workings.

Dressed in authentic costume throughout your stay, you will 'become' an Iron Age villager coping with the demands of daily life. Your accommodation will be basic; communal living in a roundhouse. You will cook your own meals and take your turn at guard duty. Our team of experts will guide you through the essentials of daily living. You will have a chance to learn the ancient skills of iron smelting and forging as well as pottery making, weaving, woodworking and metal working. Some evenings there will be guest speakers and the highlight of the week will be a torchlit feast.

We offer the full Cinderbury Experience, which is a six day stay (Sunday evening to Saturday morning)

or a Weekend Experience (Friday afternoon/evening to Sunday lunchtime).'

More information here - www.cinderbury.co.uk/index.htm

I thought it sounded fascinating.

[siaron]

This sounds interesting...reminds me of that time the 'Castaway' series did the Iron Age Celts at a location somewhere in Wales. Did anyone else see it? It was a couple of years back. They had to build their own forge out of mud and dung, but by golly they figured out how to smelt iron! I seem to recall they had to have the children removed because they could not guarantee the sanitization of the eating utensils. I'm sure they aren't going to that extent at Cinderbury.

Anyway, thanks for sharing!

Pob Bendith,

Siaron

[Midori]

Yes I remember 'Surviving the Iron Age', and some of the mistakes they made re-cooking as well!
It was no wonder they all went down with 'Druid's Revenge!'

I used to sit and watch, absolutely horrified that the two nurses didn't apparently understand why their kids became ill, it got so bad I was shouting at them on the tv!(as if they could have heard me, D'oh!)

Trying to do the 3 meals a day thing in those circumstances is daft, the best way is to have a cauldron permanently cooking and dip into it during the day as necessary. As long as the contents are boiled up thoroughly each day it will last several days.

Whoops! off on my pet hobby-horse again! Sorry, folks.

This looks like it will be a great experience, I'd love to go, but think it will be beyond my pocket.

BB Midori

[Blackbird]

I heard about the Cinderbury thing a while back - but they are charging pretty high rates... I'm not accusing them of being extortionate, but it's well beyond my price range.

Re Surviving the Iron Age - I know for a fact that they deliberately chose people who were pretty hopeless - it makes good telly

A friend of mine and her family were asked to be on it - but when they started asking questions like 'how much wood will we have?', the TV company lost interest in them and chose less practical folks instead.

[sulla]

I would probably go along as a day visitor. My husband said if I went to stay the first thing I'd ask is where the broadband connection was in my roundhouse. ;D

[Brochfael]

I know some of the people behind it quite well ans even provided a display to help with publicity last year.

The reason for the relatively high cost is of course the costs involved in building, running ands insuring the venture.

I wish them all the best and if you do ever go there, you never know you may even see me helping out.

[goldenhand]

I would love to go and stay somewhere like that! A real chance to immerse yourself in it completely! I would love that

I wish them all the best with the project!

Blessings,

Angharad