'Hugin' Viking Ship

 

We've driven past this little gem on various trips individually so many times. Anytime you go to Westward Cross you're able to pass it on the way back home, but this is the first time for Lauren that someone has actually stopped the car in order for her to have a look. As soon as Jamie found out she'd never been up close he took her and so we spent a leisurely half an hour walking around the ship and surrounding area.

The Hugin is a Viking Longship, although if you want to be technical it is actually a replica. It was gifted by the Danish government to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of Hengis and Horsa leading the Anglo-Saxon invasion in Ebbsfleet. The latter died, but it was the former who went on to be King of the Kentish having founded Kent where we reside today. 

This Longship is a replica of the Gokstad Ship from the 9th century which was found in a burial mound and is the largest preserved Viking Ship. Of course The Hugin is a bit more kitted out than the original muse, complete with shields and oars it looks like it is has been abandoned in favour of a Viking raid and those who travelled in it are due to return any second.

 It isn't a well known fact, but we are actually avid Dr Who fans and it appealed to us greatly to find out that the British Pathe footage of the ship was used in The Time Meddler in 1965 to represent an 11th century Viking raid.

Lauren:

What I find the most incredible about this ship, and to be fair I've always admired it even as a child when my parents drove past, is the detail. If you look close enough at the tail of the dragon/serpent type creature you can see the scales, not to mention the care and attention put into the face. Of course the shields being an accurate representation of those used to protect from oncoming arrows at sea are also a bonus, but the little details are what blow me away. 

While we were there we also found the above, reference to the walking trail of St Augustine who of course became the Archbishop of Canterbury and was a very recent subject of learning for us post visit to St Augustine's Abbey. Our Kentish history seems to be rife with connections we'd never known of before, so it has been very interesting learning as we travel around our home area.

We love this site so it would be a no brainer to return. No doubt the area is slightly haunted due to the proximity of the sea, but the ship itself will not be so we wont bother going into this. The site is a lovely picnic area and there is even an onsite cafe. It also leads into a beautiful dog walk which is what we did once we'd walked around the main attraction. We'd recommend this one especially as we are very much intrigued on sailing history at the moment and intend to learn about the age of sail eras as we go on our adventures, watch this space for sure!

Haunted: 2/10

Worth the visit: 8/10

Giftshop: n/a

Ghost count: 0

Dog friendly: Yes

DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images our ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source.. 

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