ANYONE who has ever wondered what life was like in the Saxon and Viking periods can satisfy their curiosity this weekend with a visit to Bishops Wood Education Centre, near Stourport.

The centre, at Crossway Green, boasts an Anglo-Saxon style hall, built over a period of four years by deputy manager, Bob Green, and visiting children.

The historic, timber structure will host a series of living history demonstrations by members of the Birmingham Viking Group on Sunday.

The extravaganza, which runs from 11am until 3pm, has been organised by the Friends of Bishops Wood and will feature demonstrations of life skills, including leatherwork, weaving, spinning and shoemaking.

Participants in the event, which will be set in an authentic traders' market, will also be able to gain hands-on experience of the period, by making Saxon coins, masks, jewellery and flip-books.

Chainmail armour will also be available to try on and weapons of the period can be examined.

Administrator, Helen Whatmore, said the centre was a closed education facility and open days were held to enable members of the public to visit.

She added the centre boasted many Viking costumes because teachers regularly dressed up during classes for four to nine year olds.

"The Saxon Hall where this will take place is an archaeological reconstruction so it's a modern building that looks exactly like we think a Saxon Hall would have been like and it has been built in the same way we would have expected, using timber with a thatched roof."

Future events planned by the volunteers in Friends of Bishops Wood include a bluebell walk and national moth night.

More information on the event can be obtained by calling 01299 250513.