Gyrwe Anglo-Saxon demonstration farm
On the Anglo-Saxon demonstration farm called Gyrwe (pronounced 'Yeerweh',
the Old English name for Jarrow) we are exploring the world of the ordinary
Anglo-Saxons. Farming was essential to provide food and clothing for the
Anglo-Saxons, whether they lived in a village or a monastery; farming also
provided equipment for the monastic scriptorium.
On Gyrwe we aim to recreate the landscape familiar to Bede in the years
around 700 AD. We have experimentally recreated timber buildings based on structures excavated within Anglo-Saxon Northumbria,
and we keep species of animals and grow varieties of crops and
vegetables as close as possible to those of the 7th and 8th
centuries.
