Crossroads (medieval village)

Crossroads was a medieval-era focused communal site in Australia, established and run by a cooperative. Its aim was to re create a medieval European village on the site, and to establish co-operative style dwellings.

For other uses, see Crossroads (disambiguation).

History

The origins of the cooperative emerged in 1991 and by September 1992 the 26 foundation members of the project formed a non-profit co-operative.[1] By 1994 enough funds had been raised through members and supporters to buy a good-sized block of land.[2] Monthly working bees over the years built a small bridge, graded roads, camping sites and a dam.[3] In addition to the work by the cooperative members, users of the land also added to the site with some improvements.

A medieval Guild Hall was built on site in 2006. This structure was based on mid 15th style architecture, with modifications for Australian conditions, based on availability of materials, and consideration of local fire hazards.

Apart from the Guild Hall, the site was developed with a residence for the site keeper. Some permaculture projects were undertaken on site after successful application for a government grant for these works.

The site was sold in 2018.

The Site

The site was 183 hectares, a third of which is forested,[3] east of Yass, New South Wales, Australia.[4]

Events

The site for a number of years hosted the Rowany Festival a large medieval Festival held by the medieval living History group the Kingdom of Lochac, the Australian branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism (some members of whom were also involved in the Co-operative). This event saw upwards of 1,000 re-enactors on the site, over the Easter period. Other medieval events were held on site, including medieval food and wine themed events.[5]

Castle/Village Project

The Cooperative aimed to establish a small village, with a medieval theme and general appearance, but with some degree of modern comfort.[6][7] The eventual goal of the cooperative was to build a full sized mid-15th-century-style village, inspired by the medieval French mountain village of Chalencon. This would have eventually included a castle, surrounded by typical buildings of a functioning medieval village. A wooden barn and the townspeople's homes would be built for the project, in addition to the buildings already on site.[3][8] There was also a general aim to use the site as a general focal point for artisans interested in medieval arts and crafts. Cooperative members planned to live on site as a community.[9]

References
  1. Trigg, Stephanie "Medievalism and the Gothic in Australian culture" Melbourne University Publishing 2006 p 216
  2. Yass Council Page
  3. Edwards, Hannah; Smyth, Terry (9 February 2003). "I spy a koala on yonder castle wall, forsooth". Domain. Sun Herald. p. 72.
  4. "Yass Valley Council - Crossroads Medieval Village Cooperative Ltd". www.yass.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012.
  5. "NSW winery offers night of medieval fanfare" 31 May 2001 Travelpress
  6. "Crossroads Medieval Village". Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  7. "Yass Valley Council - Crossroads Medieval Village Cooperative Ltd". www.yass.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012.
  8. "The Future". Archived from the original on 29 May 2014.
  9. Fellowship for Community "Communities Directory: A guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living." Fellowship for Community, 2000. P228

36°15′S 148°43′E

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