I’ve been carving for more than 30 years but never thought stone carving would result in me meeting so many great people and getting involved in so many interesting projects. 2024 had a distinctly Roman feel, but 2025 is the year of the Viking.
About 12 months ago, I stumbled across Moorforge, a Viking settlement near Gilcrux, West Cumbria. About 10 years ago, David, who owns the land, began building a replica Viking longhouse, but it was clear he was never going to stop there! Today, the site boasts a collection of smaller longhouses and a longhouse which, at more than 80 feet long (my estimate), really does live up to its name. I initially visited the site to see if it might be a good place to hold stone carving courses, and it’s fair to say I was hooked.
My first hands on experience of Moorforge was being invited to do demonstration carving at their annual Viking Craft Fair. The fair was held over the recent May bank holiday weekend, and I was delighted to play my small part alongside 35 stall holders, all in authentic Viking attire.
3 days of non stop carving was just bliss, and I met so many interesting people from all over the world. What’s more, I had the pleasure of carving a foot tall replica of the Berserker, one of the most recognisable Lewis chess set characters. I’ve still got work to do, but it looks like I’ll be back at Moorforge on the 19th for a couple of days to finish it. The event that weekend is ‘Moorforge Training and Traders Weekend ,’ where the public is invited to witness Viking combat training and enjoy browsing heritage craft traders’ stalls…. Oh, and yes, there’s always me chipping away.
Follow Moorforge on Facebook: search Moorforge Viking Settlement or on Instagram: @moorforgecumbria.
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