Unlocking Hidden Heritage European Project

Iceland Action- Turf Building and Restoration

Dates: 24th August to 3rd September 2008

The action was undertaken at Skagafjörður and managed by the Byggdasafn Arnesinga Folk Museum in cooperation with Skagafjörður Folk Museum, Hólar University College and Saudarkrokur Comprehensive College. This involved rebuilding a turf house and participating in archaeological survey i.e. recognising the ruins of turf houses in the landscape. Since few turf farmhouses remain, there is every reason to make a dedicated effort to develop and conserve them. The farmhouse tradition embodies an important element of Icelandic history and the Icelandic way of life over the centuries. The few remaining traditional farmhouses rank with a handful of buildings in Iceland that can be deemed of global value.

The farmhouse under construction is Tyrfingsstaðir which was built in between the later 19th century to 1904. Inhabitants continued to occupy the farmhouse until 1969 and has since been redundant. Reconstruction work began in 2006 with students from the Heritage School and was supervised by the Skagafjörður Folk Museum.

The Unlocking Hidden Heritage Participants in Iceland - August 2008

Tyrfingsstaðir-the Turf Farmhouse that was reconstructed in the Icelandic action in 2008

Reports and Newspaper Articles from the Action in Iceland
	British participant Brian Wilkinson
	Newspaper Article in Icelandic Fornverkaskolinn
	Newspaper Article in Icelandic Pjalfa arfbera gamals handverks
	Report by an Icelandic participant Saevar HilmarssoTorfhleðslunámskeið að Tyrfingsstöðum á Kjálka í Skagafirði
	Download the programme for the activities in Iceland (169kb)
	Download the full presentation of the action in Iceland (Please be patient as the file size is 7.7mb)

Drawings of turf house at Tyrfingsstadir. These drawings were made in 1971, but people were living the house until 1969.