Saxons in the Meon Valley

This day is set within our stunning 55 acre woodland site withing the South Downs National Park. We are surrounded by areas of outstanding natural beauty and historical sites of interest. We have full facilities for school trips including catering, cafe, toilets classrooms and residential accommodation. We are an environmental educational charity passionate about sustainability. We run our site and all of our activities are aimed at demonstrating and inspiring people about sustainable living.
Our team is committed to the learning and enjoyment of the school pupils while they stay with us as part of our community.

The 'Leave Only Footprints'program focuses on Anglo Saxons life in the Meon Valley and creates links to the current practices here at the Sustainability Centre.
Children engage in:

A hands on challenge to build an Earthbag arch similar to the rare arch in the Saxon church of nearby Corhampton.
Weave mini-hurdles with willow, while learning about coppiced woods used by Saxons to build homes and fences.
Explore the site’s plants, herbs and ‘hedges’, a word derived from Anglo Saxon ‘haga’ meaning enclosure, we see how people then and now value biodiversity in the landscape. Learn fire-lighting techniques.
Finally pupils hear about the evidence left behind by Saxon settlements and consider what impact the buildings on our site have on the land and what evidence will be left for future generations.