Anglo Saxon Great Hall progress

Status: finished

Really pleased with how this  model has turned out.

Just a couple of hours finishing the basing details. A shield or spear to add hear and there.

Little details such as splitting log and axe above really set the building off.

Note the floorboards running through out the inside just visible in this shot.

Firewood, I am sure wood have been stored under the overhang of the thatch.

Logs would have been split length ways .

When was the saw invented ?

I think it was later than we imagine, will look into that !

Below the other end of the hall with a shield and pair of spears proped up against the porch.

Below pictures of the hall in earlier stages of construction .

The base was painted with pva and sand for texture, prior to painting.

Close up of the side doors

Anglo Saxon great hall

Status: Basic paintwork complete

Completed the base coats colour for this museum quality model of  an Anglo Saxon Hall.

 Above one of four entrances.

From the side, the base requires texture and scenic detail.

Detail of the entrance,note the planked 

 floor interior,some dry bushing and watercolour washes needed to bring this model alive, should be up for sale in a week or so.

Below some photos I took of the West Stow Anglo Saxon Village in Suffolk showing some reconstructions , I used these photos  as a colour reference for the paintwork.

The timber tends to grey up when it's been in the weather for a while.

Colouring of the thatch varies quite a lot here, think they have replaced the ridge thatch recently on this one?

No hot water or reading iat night in these !

28mm Gripping Beast Saxon Thegns x 10

Status: Sold Privately £90.00

Below 10 Saxons Thegns  completed and based.Thats the last of that box set and the last Saxons I plan on doing for a while, but watch out for a Saxon thegns hall , scratch built and up for sale shortly !

28mm Gripping Beast Saxon Thegns x12

 Status: SOLD £106.00

    Some photos of this unit of 12 including command figures,more photos to follow soon.             

 

             

28mm Gripping Beast Plastics Saxon Thegns x 8

Status: SOLD for £72.00 on ebay.co.uk

 These 8 figures are being sold off in in two lots of 4 figures on ebay .co.uk. They will be followed by a further 20 or so Saxon thegns including a couple of  command groups of 4.

I have made some alterations to these figures, most notably adding some studs to the leather shields. Although I like interesting shield designs I think they might have been less common in this period than they are frequently depicted especially among the rank and file. If you look at the Bayeux tapestry,by far the most common shield design on both sides are the plain coloured shields with studs. To my mind it makes a lot of sense, a functional utilitarian shield,wooden boards held together with leather and raw hide, studded to hold the Iron work on and possibly as a form of decoration/additional protection. Why spend time or money decorating something that is just gonna get hacked up anyway?  Maybe designs would identify yourself to your kith and kin on the battlefield and bind your tribe/unit/army together. We know that the earlier Roman legionaires or later heraldic colours did this. So what about the Dark Ages? Interesting .

Any way I think the studded leather shields on these guys look great !

And these !

28mm Gripping Beast Saxon Thegn Command x 4

Status: SOLD £52.00

Completed this command group of Gripping Beast plastics,from the box set of thegns. The figures are suitable for Anglo-Saxon Armies from about 600-1100. These are nice figures,well sculpted,pleasantly stylised and certainly some of the best currently on the market for this era.