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Members' Diaries and Articles
Over the years of Sceaftesige's existence, a few members have written diaries to recount their experiences with Regia Anglorum.  They have been sucked out of the previous websites and word documents, and adapted for pleasurable reading at your convenience. 

THE EARLY WYCHURST DIARY

The Wychurst Project
Wychurst is Regia Anglorum's permanent site under construction near Canterbury in Kent.  Whilst it has its own dedicated web pages, this is an overview of Sceaftesige's involvement in the project.

Wychurst is a Saxon Manorial Burgh, that is a Saxon Longhall with attendant dwellings surrounded by a ditch, earthwork rampart and wooden palisade.  The buildings inside the fort will consist of a 60'×30' Longhall, stone Chapple, Bauhouse, Stables, Forge, and Bakery, whilst outside the ramparts there will be several artisans cottages.  The picture (right) shows an artists impression of the gate house as seen from the cottage.
Construction Diary
Work started on the project in early 2000 with the construction of the Gruben House (peasants hovel).  This was mainly an exercise to learn some of the construction techniques that would be required to build the Artisans cottage completed later the same year.

By June 2001 the oval for the fort (some 65 yards by 75 yards) had been rough cleared of timber, the ditch and pond dug, earthwork rampart constructed, and the area for the Longhall cleared and levelled.

First Bay In July 2001 the Society took delivery of 23 tons of green oak, rough cut to the approximate size and length needed to construct the Longhall.  In the week following the August bank holiday a gallant crew began work on preparing the main timbers for assembly.  Working on the main uprights, some 19' in length (when cut to size) and 10" square, and their corresponding crossbeams, some 16' in length (when cut to size) and 10" square, three sets were man-handled from their storage, cut and jointed.

October 2001 saw the second working weekend of the project.  With a large amount of additional manpower movement of the aisle posts and tie beams became a simple task.  This allowed rapid progress to be made in sizing and jointing the remaining two sets of posts.  In addition the manpower enable work to commence on cutting and jointing the aisle plates and all bar two of the eight were completed.

We also took the opportunity to hire a mini-digger which allowed us to cut a rear access to what will become our Living History Exhibit overflow and 20th-century camping area.  In addition we managed to dig the holes for the posts, which was a learning experience in its own right.

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