Blackdown Experimental Archaeology Research Centre

The Goal for Phase One

We've been given the go-ahead to establish the Blackdown Experimental Archaeology Research Centre, an absolutely unique project at an extraordinary piece of woodland in Somerset. We believe this to be an incredible chance to showcase our woodland heritage, share traditional crafts and bring the past to life.  

We need your help to get the project off the ground and charging forward.

This first round of funding for our CIC (Community Interest Company) will cover:

• Pre-Application Planning Advice
• Heritage Interpreter Consultation
• Site & Building Designs 
• Full Planning Consent

With this in place, we can actually start getting people out into the forest, with an axe in their hands, to begin doing what we love and what this project is all about! 

The Proposal

For several years now we've dreamed of creating a truly immersive archaeological experience showcasing buildings and a way of life from our distant past, coupled with a space to preserve, promote and practice ancient crafts; all set within a working woodland landscape. For some time Newhaven Coppice set to fulfill these goals, but due to it's size and complications regarding ownership it became apparent early this year, that it'd never quite get there.

A few hundred emails, several meetings and 6 months later, we are standing in nearly a hundred acres of glorious towering oaks, wild dense hazel coppice and clearings humming with a cacophony of wildlife. Our new site, situated on the edge of the Blackdown Hills AONB in Somerset has it all and is soon set to tell the tale of Britian's woodland story.  

The vision is to create a truly unique woodland space, part Experimental Archaeology Research Lab, part Heritage Craft Centre & part Open Air Museum. To achieve this, three distinct areas will be created, leading visitors chronologically through our ancestral wood-culture; from the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic, to the dawn of metallurgy in the Bronze Age and concluding in the pinnacle of 'treewrighting'; the Anglo-Saxon era. With archaeological (re)constructions of ancient buildings in each zone, these areas will act as hubs of activity, providing incredible teaching aids to schools groups, immersive settings for traditional craft courses and a unique museum to lead an understanding of our heritage. 

The First Phase

As with any of these projects, the initial steps are the most dull, but the most important to lay a solid foundation for the whole future. We would much rather be thatching a roundhouse or felling an oak with flint axes, but before we can proceed any further we need to navigate the Planning System. We have applied for pre-application planning advice from Somerset West and Taunton District Council, however they have decided we are a 'medium-sized development' and thus chucked a £350.00 fee at us. 

From there, we'll need to consult with other specialists to draw up a design for the new site. This will allow us to proceed to the full planning stage, where we will face several fees amounting to anything between £500 and £1000, depending on what they decide we need apply for. 

With the planning headache tackled, we'll need to begin climbing the next beauracratic mountain; creating policies, sorting insurance, scrambling through building regulations... All of which has costs to mitigate and is where the remainder of this funding will help alleviate.

This is where you come in! We need your support to get this project off the ground and going. With your help, we can make sure this project succeeds; preserving ancient crafts, promoting cutting edge archaeological research and bringing the world of our ancestors to life. 

 Donate now and stay up to date with the  Blackdown Experimental Archaeology Research Centre!