Collecting the oak for building our new ale making trough!

The trough will be a reconstruction of the Bronze Age trough we helped excavate at Hell's Mouth, North Wales a couple of years ago. This is the trough after the burnt stones had been removed. Note the launder leading into the trough from the course of an old stream (middle to right top of pic by long ranging rod).

We got the oak planks from The Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari. Here Alan is marking the plank ready to trim it to size.

Cutting to size. The original trough planks from Hell's Mouth have clear axe/adze marks on their surface. 

 
The base and one side. The base plank of the Hell's Mouth trough was a re-used plank from a sewn boat! (The earliest known boat in Wales). 

 
Both sides on.

Once back at the Studio the planks will be set into a trench in the ground will be used for our Prehistoric Ale making Course 17th-18th August (Details on our events page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/405267512852660/ and Course page on our website http://www.ancient-arts.org/training.html). 

This is one we installed and used at St Fagan's Cardiff for the National Museum. 

 
Heating the water with hot stones to make the brew! Trough is on the left.

We also took a look at the new, eco-build building at the Woodland Skills Centre. A wonderful facility for the Centre. 

Insulated with sheeps wool, powered by the sun and built using local trees; very special!