Exploring the legacy of Ethelburga – a community project focused on the Anglo-Saxon heritage of Lyminge, a village in the Elham Valley in East Kent.
For many the Sutton Hoo helmet is the face of Anglo-Saxon England. It was a great pleasure, while on holiday in East Anglia this week, to return to Sutton Hoo and view this iconic site that is once more open to the public. The site is believed to be the royal burial ground of the … Continue reading A trip to Sutton Hoo
Earlier this month, the British Pilgrimage Trust published a new book designed to highlight the great number of historic and often beautiful pilgrimage sites that still exist across Britain today. Many of these are linked by paths that are becoming increasingly popular as walking routes, used by people in search of wonderful walking regardless of … Continue reading Lyminge is one of Britain’s Pilgrimage Places
Earlier this month we put up a post showing how the work is progressing to create a 3D digital reconstruction of the Anglo-Saxon church excavated last summer that we think was probably Ethelburga's church built in the 630s or 640s. Work has continued on this reconstruction over the past couple of weeks and the new … Continue reading Update on reconstructing Ethelburga’s church
Visitors to the church yard in the past week may have noticed some further progress. The retaining wall opposite the south porch has now been repaired and consolidated. Our bricklayer has done a great job dealing with a real mess. He has used bricks salvaged during the work to the paths and has mortared only … Continue reading Further progress in the churchyard
The dig in the church yard began just a year ago this month. Readers of this blog will be familiar with images of the Anglo-Saxon church that we uncovered, and that we are reasonably confident was built around the middle of the 7th Century. So this could be the church built by Ethelburga for the … Continue reading Visualising Ethelburga’s church
So here is the new path surface complete at last throughout the church yard. For the first time it is possible to see the outline of the 7th Century Anglo-Saxon church excavated last summer and understand its full ground plan. Work began yesterday fitting the metal rails that form the mould for the outline of … Continue reading The church yard paths completed
I am delighted to report great progress after a full week of work laying the new paths in the church yard. The path leading from the main gate was laid up to and beyond the Priest's Door on the south side of the Chancel this morning. This area will be open to walk on by … Continue reading The Church Yard re-opens!
With the rubber crumb laid, it was possible today to mark out the outline of the 7th Century Anglo-Saxon church. This task got underway this morning with string and nails, and a can of spray paint. It was interesting to find that the interior radius of the apse was exactly 90 inches. Aluminium battens will … Continue reading Further progress in the church yard
The last stage of laying the new paths in the church yard commenced this morning. A rubber crumb is being laid on top of the aggregate over the next couple of days. This will provide the immediate sub-base to the top surface of resin-bound aggregate. Further down the path towards the main entrance, the new … Continue reading Progress on the church yard paths
Readers of this blog will know the strange story of St Eadburg (also known as Eadburh), the "forgotten saint" of Lyminge and how she has become confused with St Ethelburga and largely erased from memory, at least within the village. However she has not been totally forgotten and as I recounted in a recent post, … Continue reading St Eadburg’s Well – restoration of an identity
