Colchester Young Archaeologists visit Grange Barn in Coggeshall

On Saturday (11th April), the Colchester Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) met at Grange Barn in Coggeshall for their April session.

Colchester YAC organiser Barbara Butler writes: ‘… Having taken our time-line at Roman Circus House through the Middle Ages and into the Tudor period, this month we went to the cavernous timber-framed Grange Barn.

There we met up with Mark from History Blooms. Mark is an expert in archery and he explained the importance of the longbow in decisive battles including the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He described how longbow arrows could penetrate armour which would protect against most cross-bows. As there was a heavy shower of rain outside, our first attempt at using a bow was inside the barn. The young people’s skill at archery was impressive under Mark’s tuition. When the rain cleared, we were able to aim for the target outside and, again, some of the skill displayed by the group was impressive. Mark also explained the importance of the feathers and how an arrow wavers in flight. In fact, by the time we finished, most of us understood the aerodynamics and physics of arrow flight.

We were also able to explore the extraordinary, massive, timber-framed barn. It was originally constructed in the 13th century for the nearby Cistercian monastery. Anne Tomkinson, a Colchester town guide and Kentwell Hall re-enactor, joined us at Grange Barn. Anne had demonstrated and cooked Tudor food for us at our February meeting at Roman Circus House. She met us again at the Barn to show us how to make marzipan roses and everyone had a marzipan rose to take home …’

The images show the Colchester YAC in the Barn, trying out a longbow, and making the marzipan roses.

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If you are aged under 17 and interested in joining the Young Archaeologists’ Club in Colchester, then please contact Barbara Butler on 07808 968766 or at barbara[at]peterbutlerdesign.co.uk or Barbara Butler, Colchester YAC Branch, c/o the Colchester Archaeological Trust, Roman Circus House, off Circular Road North, Colchester, Essex CO2 7GZ.

The National Young Archaeologists’ Club web-site is at www.yac-uk.org/ .

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