Blueaxe Reproductions

28/05/2026

A weekend on Gaia is about to begin! Paid our dues to the Gokstad mound, so time to sail the replica ship.

27/05/2026

Recently I've been looking at making sheaths for these two Seaxes; one a copy of a blade and silver inlaid horn handle from Cumwhitton Grave 5, and another an Anglo-Saxon bone handle with inhabited vinescroll from the Victoria and Albert Museum, to which I have fitted a blade and horn stoppers.

I have used a tidied up version of a sheath from York for the Cumwhitton blade, as the interlace seems most appropriate for the site and cultural links. For the Anglo-Saxon piece, I have used inhabited vinescroll motifs; mostly from Cumbria or Northumbria, adapted into a pattern which fits period appropriate layouts, and sheaths from York and London which are inhabited vinescroll, or adaptations of it.

It's difficult to make the speculations when we lack complete examples, but often this is the case in living history, when the evidence is present, but fragmentary, and we have to bridge that gap.

21/05/2026

Unfortunately our group Micel Here will no longer be attending the event at Murton on 27th-28th June. Comment from the group as follows:

"We are very sorry to announce we will no longer be attending the Market Event at Murton Park on the 27th-28th of June.

Our approach has always been 'history for all' and maintaining an apolitical stance. Recent public information has thrown up concerns about our ability to maintain this ethos at this venue, so regretfully we have had to withdraw.

We look forward to welcoming you one of our other events soon!
Best wishes
The Micel Here Team"

VIKING MARKET ⚔️ 27th-28th June

Travel back in time and visit the trading camp of the Viking Great Heathen Army. You can see craftspeople in action: weavers, woodworkers, potters, bone and metal workers, glassworkers, and treat yourself to some good from their stalls!

Check it out on our website!

18/05/2026

That's the silver fittings finished on my type L Anglo-Saxon sword. The next stage is a final adjustment to get the fit perfect, and then final polish and then fitting it all together!

16/05/2026

Just finished unloading from a mega busy weekend at an event I organised for our group; Cumbraland at Kirkby Thore as part of the excavations along the A66 for Oxford Cotswold Archaeology. We did a full days for 7 local schools on Friday, and a public open day today. There will be pictures to follow in a few days, but for now I'd just like to extend a massive thanks to the gang for putting on an amazing show; the mind blowing textile display, farming, woodworking, casting, and an amazing collection of regional artefact replicas. You are all fantastic.

Thank you OCA, Balfour Beatys, and National Highways for working with us to put on such an amazing display. I will now go an sleep for days, well after I take the van back at 8 am!

12/05/2026

I helped the Comms team assemble a little blog on some of the early medieval findings from near Kirkby Thore on the A66. I'll also be up on the A66 this Saturday with the Cumbraland crew supporting an open day of the site and show casing some of the finds; check out the website and book yourself a spot on the tour!

11/05/2026

Obtained some green stone from near Kirkby Thore, and it works lovely! I can see why some spindle whorls were made out of it; it's soft, but also doesn't crumble and split too easily!

10/05/2026

09/05/2026

Busy few days at work; followed by a Friday night talk to Upper Eden History Society on Viking Age Cumbria, and a Saturday conference in Chester with the Finds Research Group, listening to some great talks, and looking at some interesting early medieval finds!