Queen fells beloved Windsor Castle oak trees to rebuild ship fit for a Saxon king
Royal boost for £100k project as experts bid to bring Sutton Hoo burial boat back to life
THE QUEEN has given her blessing to a plan to chop down a dozen Windsor oak trees to build a replica of a magnificent AngloSaxon burial ship.
Containing extraordinary treasure, the 1,400-year-old Sutton Hoo ‘ship’ was unearthed in Suffolk in 1939 and is hailed as one of the country’s most important archaeological discoveries.
All that was left of the 90ft vessel was a ghostly imprint in the sandy soil. The timbers had rotted, leaving 3,000 rusty iron rivets which had held them together, but archaeologists were able to trace the outlines of almost every plank used in the hull. No human remains were found but a dark stain may have marked the spot where it is believed Raedwald, the 7th Century King of East Anglia, was laid to rest.
Now an ambitious project to ‘bring the ghost ship to life’ has been boosted by the generosity of the Queen. She has agreed to donate the trees from the 4,800-acre Windsor Great Park, which contains one of largest collections of oaks in Europe, including several that are more than 1,000 years old.
An archaeologist and a shipbuilder visited the park last week to identify which trees to fell.
Dr Alexy Karenowska, of the Institute for Digital Archaeology, which is helping to fund the project, said: ‘It’s a ghost ship. We don’t have the original structure – we just have the hole in the ground where it was.
‘We went to Windsor Great Park to do a first assessment of what’s available as we need a selection of different kinds of timber from quite a number of trees.
‘There are large sections needed for the keel, which is probably one of the first things that will be cut, then some curved sections for the ribs. They used green wood because it was flexible and much easier to work with.’
Philip Leech, a director of the Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company, which is building the replica, said: ‘Getting the timber from Windsor Great Park is very special. It is Royal oak for a Royal ship.’
The 1939 excavation uncovered magnificent gold and garnet jewels, a ceremonial helmet, weapons and a silver plate that are now among the star attractions at the British Museum.
Raedwald was the first English king to convert to Christianity but he hedged his bets and maintained pagan traditions, which included boat burials. Beowulf, the great classic of Anglo-Saxon literature, opens with the funeral of a king in a ship laden with treasure.
Work is due to begin in the next few weeks when the first trees have been felled. Volunteers will be trained to use the same tools and techniques as the Anglo-Saxon carpenters who settled in Britain after the departure of the Romans. Mr Leech added: ‘ The t i mber would have been split and side-axed into shape as they didn’t have any saws. Every one of the 26 pairs of ribs which held the hull together was a different shape, so we will try to find timbers to match them.
‘The Sutton Hoo ship is unique as no vessel has been discovered from 200 years either side of its construction.’
The £100,000 project will combine ancient and modern technology. Visitors can watch the build in progress and 3D printing will be used to recreate bronze fittings and other components. Although
the ship resembles Viking longships, it was constructed on different principles and is not thought to have had a sail.
Roger Michel, executive director of the institute, said: ‘ This is a hugely exciting opportunity to use cutting-edge science and technology to open a window into the social history and engineering prowess of our Saxon ancestors. Experts will be bringing this ghost ship to life both virtually and actually.’
The ship will be built in a giant shed beside the River Deben, close to the spot where it is believed the original was constructed.
The Crown Estate, which looks after the Queen’s land and properties, said it was ‘delighted to assist the Sutton Hoo project by donating Windsor oak’.