Thynghowe and the Forgotten Heritage of

Birklands Sherwood Forest

A pictorial record of the Heritage Lottery Funded project.

Compiled byStuart Reddish and Lynda Mallett

Displayed at Mansfield Museum June 2013

Recreation of Viking Danish Warrior Farmers and their families in

Birklands Sherwood

Art work produced as part of the opportunities for local schools to work with The Friends of Thynghowe in Birklands Sherwood

Forest.

Art work produced as part of the opportunities for local schools to work with The Friends of Thynghowe in Birklands Sherwood

Forest

Art work produced as part of the opportunities for local schools to work with The Friends of Thynghowe in Birklands Sherwood

Forest

Art work produced by Samuel Barlow Primary School and Eastlands Junior School who worked with us in Birklands

Sherwood Forest

Art work produced by Birklands Primary School who worked with

us in Birklands Sherwood Forest

Art work produced by Church Vale Primary School who worked

with us in Birklands Sherwood Forest

LiDAR interpretation workshop. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and experts from English Heritage and the Forestry

Commission identify features for ground-truthing field work.

LiDAR interpretation workshop. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and experts from English Heritage and the Forestry

Commission analyse the summit and assembly area of Thynghowe.

Project training workshop on Archives, Surveying and Archaeology at Sherwood Pines. Assisted by Mercian Archaeological Services CIC

and The Public Information Research Organisation.

Recreation of the Warsop Lordship Boundary Perambulation of 1816. Involving members of the Friends of Thynghowe and the local

community April 2012.

Archive research training workshop run by the Public Information Research Organisation at Mansfield Library Involving members of the

Friends of Thynghowe and volunteers. May 2012.

Survey workshop run by the Public Information Research Organisation in Birklands. Involving members of the Friends of

Thynghowe and a group from the Framework charity.

Survey workshop run by the Public Information Research Organisation in Birklands. Involving members of the Friends of

Thynghowe and attendees from the local community.

Revealing newly discovered archaeology in Birklands. Involving members of the Friends of Thynghowe and the Community Payback Probation Team who systematically cleared the site with hand-tools.

Surveying the newly discovered Viking road Nether Warsop Gate in Birklands. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and community

volunteers skyline the contour of the hollow-way

Surveying the newly discovered Viking road Nether Warsop Gate in Birklands. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and volunteers set

the Dumpy level to ground-truth the hollow-way

Surveying the newly discovered Viking road Nether Warsop Gate in Birklands. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and volunteers set

the base-line from the fixed point to the level

Surveying the newly discovered Viking road Nether Warsop Gate in Birklands. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and volunteers set

the grid to ground-truth the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

Archaeology and Surveying Field Trip and workshop at the Forestry Commission Sherwood Pines. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe

and volunteers

Archaeology and Surveying Field Trip and workshop. Members of the Friends of Thynghowe and volunteers learn to measure and record

features.

Recreation of Vikings on newly discovered Nether Warsop Gate

Recreation of Vikings going to an Assembly at Thynghowe

through Birklands Sherwood Forest

Recreation of Vikings on the Law Speakers Mound at Thynghowe

Part of the ongoing management and long term access to the cultural heritage of Thynghowe involved a weekend of Viking Living History

with an encampment created at Sherwood Pines

Access to the intangible cultural heritage of Thynghowe culminated in a Spring Thing. We re-created a Viking Assembly of Danish warrior

farmers at Sherwood Pines

Authentic re-enactment provided learning opportunities and a re-engagement with past skills and traditions. Regia Angloram built

their camp and entertained the public for two days in a memorable display of our history.

The Assembly Site at Thynghowe is a rare example of a place of gathering from some 1100 years ago. A place where in the spring

families would gather to swap stories, sell their wares and solve their disputes.

The public were told stories of the traditions and customs of the Danish warrior farmers. This is a Viking boat burial part of the days

educational programme.

The assembly at Thynghowe was at the root of Danish Customary Law - the Danelaw. Debate, oratory, and story telling forms the basis of our adversarial legal system. Here we see our heritage played out

at the Thing meeting.

History is punctuated by battles and wars. Our heritage in Nottinghamshire includes many a fight. The Danish warrior farmers of the late 9th century were a standing army and here they are doing

their training.

The Friends of Thynghowe and their numerous new friends have spent a memorable year working with the community to create a

better understanding of our heritage and the part Birklands Forest has played throughout history. We have not finished yet. Look out for

further activities in the future.