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.
Long-term readers of this blog will remember the unveiling of the first information panel on Tayne Field, commissioned by the Lyminge Historical Society and designed by Laura Samuels of historical consultancy Jakaranda Tree. One of the key aims of the Pathways to the Past project has been to build on this beginning and expand the … Continue reading New information panels for the village
Coming to Lyminge from 21 June to 4 July 2021 Pathways to the Past has entered into partnership with the Lyminge Association to give the 2021 Lyminge Festival an Anglo-Saxon theme. You can find the full programme of events in the June edition of the Lyminge Newsletter, available here. Set out below are the events … Continue reading The Lyminge Anglo-Saxon Festival
The path to the burial site On a beautiful warm afternoon, with the cow parsley in full flower, the villagers who were disturbed during the archaeological excavation of Queen Ethelburga's church were again laid to rest. Readers of this blog will remember a few encounters with these villagers of the past. We excavated eight graves … Continue reading Laying our ancestors to rest
New path to the north door When we launched our project, there was always more to it than just excavating the Anglo-Saxon church, important though that was. A key benefit, which counted a lot with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was the proposal to create step-free access into the church for the first time. This … Continue reading New access to the church for those with reduced mobility
The block of ragstone selected for the new sculpture in the churchyard Work is progressing to complete the new artworks that are being created for the church. Gallaghers of Maidstone have very generously donated a piece of ragstone that will be turned into a piece celebrating the achievement of Queen Ethelburga who built the first … Continue reading Progress at the church
In centuries past, it was normal for churches to raise funds by brewing a Church Ale. There are records indicating that in Lyminge, there was a structure to the north side of the church where the Church Ale was habitually consumed. We are delighted to be able to revive this ancient tradition with Queen Ethelburga's … Continue reading Queen Ethelburga’s Ale
English native snowdrops, bluebells, aconites and wood anemones Visitors to the churchyard in recent weeks have been treated to a wonderful show of daffodils. Yesterday, as part of our new management plan, a group of volunteers was back in the churchyard thinking about next spring and planting an array of bulbs in the green. We … Continue reading More work in the churchyard
The simple answer is: 'you bet we have!' It's time to bring you up to date on what is planned and what you can expect to see unfold in the weeks and months ahead as we move towards the end of the project later this year. Glorious daffodils in the churchyard (picture courtesy of Liz … Continue reading So have we been busy over the Winter?
We are delighted to announce that prints of Dom Andrews' wonderful reconstructions of Queen Ethelburga's church and Lyminge monastery are now for sale. You can read more about the process and the deliberations behind the reconstructions here. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the image of the interior of the church. … Continue reading Prints of Ethelburga’s church for sale
We have been delighted by the response to the launch of the Royal Saxon Way. We have had nothing but positive comments about the deep pleasure gained from walking the route and the varied sea, river and landscape to be enjoyed along the way. People have also responded well to the idea that a number … Continue reading What is Saxon about the Royal Saxon Way?
