Welcome to Woodbridge and the Anglo-Saxon Shipbuild

This website is where you can follow some of the developments leading towards the construction of the full-size reconstruction of the ship that was buried at Sutton Hoo (just across the river from Woodbridge) in AD 625.

The Danes are Coming!

On October 6, 2018 an International Symposium of academic and archaeology experts together with experienced boat builders will meet in The Longshed. This event is by invitation only. They are coming to review the 5 - 6 years of research that has gone into the hull of the Sutton Hoo (also called the Mound 1) ship. A series of questions has been compiled by The Ship's Company to be put to these people who have related knowledge and experience.

The aim is to make sure that everything has been properly researched and that the proposed construction will meet their approval. If this proves to be the case then the way will be open to commence construction.

Currently very few people understand the depth of investigation that has been going on, so following the Symposium a talk will be given in The Longshed for the benefit of local people. The same talk will be given twice, once at 7pm in the evening Thursday 25 October and once at 2pm in the afternoon of Sunday 28 October (following a Boat Jumble event in the morning).

The content of the talk will cover reports on the investigations that have taken place, what information was gathered and what discoveries were made. There will be explanations of the techniques and tools to be used and what skills will be needed. There will be descriptions of the challenges to be faced, with outline explanations of the lofting principles and the possible setting up of mould frames in order to check the accuracy of the build. Any decisions made by the experts following the Symposium will be relayed to those who attend the talks.

The entrance fee of £5 will act as a donation towards the ship build.

Payment is upon entrance with no prior ticket sales.

The International Symposium

It is more than the Danes

This is a brief mention of only SOME of the people at the Symposium to try to convey an outline of the reason why they are coming together to discuss the ship build. Many of these visitors are Professors or Doctors with titles too long to include here.

They are in random order.

Martin Carver, York University. Lead excavations at Sutton Hoo in the 1980s. Julian Whitewright, Southampton University Maritime Archaeology. Sean McGrail, probably the most highly respected expert on historic ships and archaeology in Britain. Damian Goodburn, knowledgeable expert on timber and historic constructions. Paul Handley, highly qualified/experienced consultant naval architect. Sue Brunning, British Museum. Ole Brixen Sondergaard, Nydam ship, Denmark. Angus Wainwright, archaeologist. Valerie Fenwick, excavator at Sutton Hoo and maritime archaeology expert. Jeff Bird, builder of Sae Wylfing. Jan Bill, Norwegian Ship Museum. Caryl Dane, Sutton Hoo Society. Angela Evans, formerly British Museum, did the research and wrote the material that will provide the guide to the build. Mike Tupper International Boatbuilding Training College, Lowestoft. Pat Tanner, consultant naval architect. Toby Jones, Newport medieval ship. Soren Nielsen, Roskilde ships Denmark. Fabian Bush, yacht/boat designer. James Dodds, artist. Vibeke Bischoff, Roskilde ships Denmark. Peter Clark, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Dover boat.

There are more, but the names above should convey the depth and the quality of the interest in the Royal ship, often called the Mound 1 ship, to be constructed in The Longshed.

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The Longshed was opened by the Mayor on April 21 2018

To read more about the Ship click on the word Ship at the top of the page.

To find out more about our longboat 'Sae Wylfing' click the names at the top of the page.

This website is supplying some of the background information

relating most directly to the ship and to the activities of the half-length replica Sae Wylfing.

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Community NEWS

The film 'Life ON THE Deben' made in association with the Woodbridge Riverside Trust,

produced by Malcolm Hodd, filmed by Tim Curtis and narrated by presenter John McCarthy

has been a huge success.

It was originally scheduled for only about three local showings,

but the demand has meant that it has been reschuled time after time.

As each new showing is announced it is sold out within a few hours.

Life on the Deben

See website: LifeontheDeben.com for details

Thousands of DVDs have been sold and more details can be found on its website.

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The King's River.

The first community activity on the Waterfront site was a specially commissioned music and dance production

This was the Waterfront Square prepared for the The King's River performances.

An outline of the story-content and the people involved can be found on the Longshed page.

Click at top of this page, then scroll down on Longshed & The King's River

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An Explanation of the Woodbridge Waterfront

The waterfront was redeveloped to replace an old boatbuilding site

called Whisstocks that has been unused for about 20 years

The Community's area linking the Town Quay and the Tide Mill is known as Waterfront Woodbridge .

To see a Video East record of the demolition go to www.WoodbridgeRiversideTrust.org

Waterfront

Woodbridge Waterfront (community) & the Whisstocks Development (commercial)

In the centre there is a slipway between a barge and a yacht.

Tracks run back across the waterfront square to the large door of the Longshed.

The projecting building (left) will house the Woodbridge Museum.

Four long buildings to the rear at the right are for accommodation and shops.

Front right is a restaurant.

To the extreme left of the illustration is the Town Quay and extreme right the Tide Mill.

Artist's impression. Left: Woodbridge Museum. Back left: Longshed. Back right: Apartments with shops below. Right: Restaurant with apartment over.

This is no longer an artist's impression, but the actual buildings as seen from the water. Their subdued colours allow the Tide Mill to remain the focus of attention.

To read more about the Longshed click on it at the top of the page.

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To read more about our Anglo-Saxon longboat Sae Wylfing, seen here at a Sutton Hoo event

click on either of its pages at the top of this page.