If you are looking for something unique to do for the remainder of the summer, Martin Mere in Lancashire has opened up its Mere Tun Village exclusively over the summer holidays.
The village is open to the public for living history experiences for the first time in five years. Families can step inside the roundhouses, including their ‘weaver’s hut’ to see a traditional Anglo-Saxon and Viking loom.
As the centre dives deeper into how wetland materials were used throughout the ages, visitors are encouraged to get hands-on with activities such as weaving a fence using willow tree branches, a technique used to build secure enclosures for livestock.
Visitors can also discover some of the more unexpected and unusual ingredients and how they were used, such as how beaver’s glands have been used to soothe pain for over a thousand years.
Excitingly, families can also pick up a sword and a shield and have a go at weapons training. Children can learn how to build a shield wall and stay fierce to keep intruders out of the village.
The wetland centre’s Lecture Theatre has also been transformed into a ‘Longhouse Craft Room’, and invites families to do crafts such as clay modelling, traditional weaving, rune making, and creating a mini-roundhouse.
Nick Brooks, Centre Manager at Martin Mere, said: “Alongside our Mere Tun Village, visitors can expect our family favourites including pond dipping, our award-winning canoe safari, and moth trapping. Come and visit us over the summer holidays for a fantastic full day of fun.”
WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre is the perfect destination to get up close to over 70 wetland species around the world, including fabulous flamingos, adorable otters, and wonderful white storks. Find out more via their website: www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/martin-mere/
