Moorforge Viking Settlement

The Moorforge Viking Settlement is located on the outskirts of the small village of Gilcrux, not far from Cockermouth, in Cumbria. It is designed to give an idea of what a middle income farmstead might look like in the early to mid tenth century, when Cumbria was being settled by Norse incomers, mainly from the old Hiberno-Norse kingdom of Dublin.

Moorforge can be hired as a venue for events and we use it for school visits from schools in the local area, up to about 60-90 minutes away, or from further afield if your school is visiting the area for a longer period of time. Here, children and teachers alike can experience first-hand what it may have been like to live in Viking times, 1000 years ago. As such there is a tour of the site, at the same time explaining how it may have been used over 1000 years ago and what people, especially children their own age, may have done there every day. We have a battle, we learn about religion, we play games, we handle artifacts. And, of course, we learn about weapons and how they were used.

Bjarni introducing himself to his visitors

After the visit teachers can then use what they did at Moorforge as a framework to base their teaching on, and as inspiration for the children to really put themselves into the shoes of someone who lived during Viking times.

Inside the longhouse

For a group of up to 30 children, plus adults, a day usually runs from 10am to 2pm, although we can start earlier and end later if you prefer. Bjarni extends the full hospitality of his home, with hot drinks and Chocolate Hobnobs available to the adults at lunch time (raided from the 21st C), although everyone should also bring a packed lunch. When time travelling, however, from the 21st to the 10th century, it is highly recommended that everyone wears clothing and footwear suitable for the conditions on the day, as the farmstead can remain quite soggy even a few days after heavy rain.