Jorvik Viking Festival 2012

Up until the 1970s, the Yorkshire city of Leeds was keeping a secret in the moist ground beneath its streets - an ancient Viking settlement that had been perfectly preserved in the oxygen-free soil, containing an unprecedented number of artefacts, many of which were like new. This discovery formed the basis of what is now the Jorvik Viking Centre - a realistic recreation of the settlement, using original artefacts, giving people a unique insight into life in a Viking town in 975AD.

The centre operates all year round but they are holding their annual Jorvik Viking Festival between 11-19 February 2012. Taking place in locations across the city, the York Viking Festival features a huge variety of events, workshops and battle reenactments, all keeping as accurately as possible with the Viking era. Some even speak Old Norse to make it truly authentic! Take a look at this video for an idea of what you might experience at the Jorvik Viking Festival:

The festival of course lends itself to entertaining the kids but there's plenty on for the adults as well, including guided walks, expert talks, practical workshops and sword-fighting classes, for the big kids!