The Plan

The Site: We are interested in a piece of land with year-round access, access to undeveloped public lands, and with a rural "feel" flowing water is a plus. We are currently negociating for a 30 acre parcel in Blacksmith fork's canyon outside of Hyrum,Utah in the southern area of Cache County. The Blacksmith fork river flows along the north side of the site. We have looked at one other site but it didn't work out. This site is divided into a fifteen acre site for buildings and an additional 15 acres of timber and meadows for adventuring. The surrounding land amounting to several hundred acres is being placed by it's owner into a wildlife conservation district and will never be built on. About seven acres of the building site with most of the buildings is on an alluvial fan with a gentle slope the remainder is rather level and about 3-5 feet above the high water mark of the river. When finished we will have over 30 buildings recreating an Anglo-Scottish village and Manor from the 13th-14th centuries as an open air museum of medieval life.

Once we have come to an agreement with the landowner we will seek the approval of Cache County. The land is currently in a recreation zone so we will request a special living history zone. Since a special zone was created for the American West Heritage Center near Wellsville we hope the pattern has been set to create a protective zone for the project.

If you would like to become a part owner of Somerville Manor click Here

The fourth building and the first built is a public guarderobe with a small gift shop, with the gift shop being expanded later. To prevent pollution in the Blacksmith fork river and to provide a "greener" business profile we plan to use waterless composting toilets such as the type used in national parks such as Mount Rainier. This facility will handle an average of 200 uses per day.

The small museum classroom cottage will have displays of medieval artifacts and will show short films about the middle ages to small groups.

The man

St. Andrews Kirk will provide a look at the life of the medieval clergy, it will also provide Medieval weddings, wedding receptions, a geneology room to look up your medieval ancestors, a scriptorium, and a classroom.

The Scottish Cruck house will be a museum building demonstrating

The village apothacary will be a museum cottage to demonstrate medieval herb gardens, and medieval medicaal skills and knowledge

The village Tithing Barn will house village livestock with instruction on the care of animals during the middle ages.

The village ale house with a small summer porch will not serve alcohol, but soft drinks and medieval finger foods a place to learn a medieval table game while sipping a rootbeer or cream ale and eating an apple pye.

life for the average poor farmer with a few animals

The Small Tudor hall will be a museum building demonstrating life in the late medieval period

The Potter's shop will have both indoor and outdoor demonstration areas, as well as a medieval potters shop for the display and sale of finished items. Classes on handthrowwing on a medieval wheel will also be available.

The village carpenter's shop will demonstrate medieval wood working tools and skills with both an outdoor and indoor work area.

The Blacksmyth's shop will have a covered outside demonstration area for instruction of how metal was formed and shaped into useful items during the middle ages.

or's tower house and greathall will have medieval museum displays of life for the nobility and the greathall will offer medieval feasts for groups by reservation. There will also be two medieval B&B rooms for over night stays