Welcome to Rupert House
Year 4 enjoyed a superb day of hands-on history at The Earth Trust in Little Wittenham, exploring the site of an Iron Age hill fort and learning about life in Anglo-Saxon times.
The day began with traditional crafts, as the children used drop spindles to spin yarn, followed by grinding grain into flour using a quern stone—just as poorer Anglo-Saxons would have done with peas or beans when wheat was scarce.
Using their freshly ground flour, the children then made flatbreads and cooked them over open coals. With potatoes not yet introduced to Britain, this kind of bread would have been perfect for soaking up stews and broths!
Re-energised, the class gathered willow branches and got to work weaving a wattle wall—thankfully spared the messy task of daubing it with mud and straw!
The day concluded with a steep but rewarding climb up the iconic Wittenham Clumps. From the top, the children soaked in sweeping views of the Oxfordshire countryside, imagining tales from the past. Inspired by figures such as Ethelred the Unready and the missionary Birinus, they brought history to life, looking across to Dorchester Abbey and the River Thames as they reenacted scenes from Anglo-Saxon legend.
It was a memorable day filled with learning, adventure, and a deeper connection to Britain’s early past.
