The Process

Part 1

Which site do we choose for our village?

Cerdic has drawn up a map with 4 places where a village might be sited, but before we look at that perhaps you can help us with your knowledge of Worcestershire. We know you have maps which show where we used to live. These could help us a lot, so let's have a look.

The names of some settlements can give us a clue about what sort of place it used to be. Find a map showing the villages around the Bishop's Wood Environmental Centre (at Crossway Green, near Droitwich) or use the one on this Internet Map.

On the internet map select "Maps" then "Town Maps" to find "Crossway Green". Bishops Wood is not marked, but is near Crossway Green. Zoom in and see a bit more detail. (A lot of the place names in this area came from Saxon names.)

When you have found a suitable map, click on 'Clues from Place Names' and this will give you a key of what different place names used to mean. You can now make a list of all the villages you can find that still show evidence of the prefixes and suffixes you are looking for. (It reminds you on the sheet if you are not sure what prefixes and suffixes are) Be careful though, as the spellings may have changed a bit after all this time.

This list will tell you lots about the land as it was in those times, and maybe how it still is to this day. It would be interesting to note where the old Saxon descriptions still apply.

Now we can look at a map showing where the Saxons used to live.

Below is a modern map of Worcestershire, showing the rivers and some of the main towns in the year 2001. Use the mouse-over (wave the cursor over the map) to look at where the Saxon settlements used to be - they are the dozens of little red dots.

Look at the positions of some of the Saxon settlements, and see if you can find a few of them on a modern map (like you just did in the previous section). Now try to think of three important reasons to explain why they chose that place to settle - using their names to give you a clue. For example - "Hillbury" might have been a fortress on top of a hill so it could be easily defended against attack. That would be a good reason for settling in that place.

A simple little table like this would be useful here

Using a map which shows high and low ground might help you - there will be one in the library. An Ordnance Survey Map is best of all, or a large scale atlas will help. Ask your teacher if you have problems here.

Cerdic needs as much information as possible to help make his final decision.

Now lets move on to Cerdic's plan and see where he thinks you might settle.

1.Look closely at where the sites are, they are labelled;-
a, b, c, and d.

2. Print out and use the sheet 'Where do we settle' and use the information you have just learned to decide which is the best site?

Part 2

Now that you have chosen where your village is to be sited, we need to move on and sort out how we organize it. If we are going to send for people from the homeland, how many do we need and what skills must they have?

Begin by having a look at the re-constructed Saxon Hall at Bishop's Wood with all the photographs of different parts, and see just what is needed to build one. Make a list in your rough book of all the materials and skills needed to build a hall like this. Doing this task first will give you a good idea of the sort of people you need from the homeland,and this website will help a lot. It has loads of information about crafts and skills of the period.

Armed with the list in your rough book you now need to ask your teacher for a print out of the sheet 'Making Plans'. Filling this in will involve a lot of discussion with a friend, a teacher, mum, dad, or anyone who is interested!

Part 3

You are now on the final stage!

Gather all your plans together, you should have; --

1. A title page of your own design

2. The sheet 'Where do we settle'?

3. The sheet 'Making Plans'

4. Plenty of clues from 'Place Names'

Now make use of all the information you have gathered to design a booklet called 'Hints and Tips for New Settlers', in which you give advice to anyone wanting to set up a village in Worcestershire (or near where you live) in the year 600 AD.

You can use 'Olde Worlde' language if you like - it might be fun. You might find some illuminated letters too (ask your teacher what these are) or fray the edges of your printouts and crease them a bit to make them look old. Use your imagination!!!

Include diagrams and pictures where appropriate, but above all you must back up all your advice with GOOD REASONS for each suggestion.