Building a Saxon Ship with Axes and Volunteers

Step back in time as we follow the incredible work of the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company rebuilding a full-scale Saxon ship using authentic early medieval boatbuilding techniques. You’ll witness traditional wooden boatbuilding brought to life with hand tools, axes, cleft oak planks, clinker construction, and ancient craftsmanship inspired by the famous Anglo-Saxon ship burial. This video is a must-watch for archaeology enthusiasts, wooden boatbuilders, experimental archaeologists, heritage craft lovers, and anyone passionate about traditional woodworking, green woodworking, timber framing, and historic maritime history. Watch skilled volunteers transform raw oak into a seaworthy Saxon vessel using period tools and techniques—no modern shortcuts, just dedication, teamwork, and historic shipbuilding knowledge. From shaping planks with axes to assembling the clinker hull, this is traditional boatbuilding at its finest. If you’re passionate about Anglo-Saxon history, shipbuilding, sailing heritage, and making with hand tools, this voyage to early medieval craftsmanship is for you. If you would like to find out more visit https://saxonship.org/