The aim of my Fellowship was to explore the Viking heritage of Scandinavia and Greenland. Specifically, it was to learn from how the physical reconstruction of Viking buildings was achieved, how accurate it was, and the techniques involved.

Cumbria itself has a rich legacy of Viking settlement, evidenced by the archaeology, place names and spectacular sculptured stones dating back over 1,000 years. It's a legacy, however, which is poorly reflected in the cultural tourism offer and many visitors and residents are unaware of how their landscape and society was shaped and formed by the early Scandinavian settlers.

Cumbria had suffered more than most places as a result of the national foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001. The Fellowship offered an opportunity to study how Sweden, Denmark and Greenland presented their Viking heritage to the wider world.

Now retired, I continue to promote the subject through continuing education, heritage talks and exploring opportunities for adding value to cultural tourism, through an understanding of how our Scandinavian ancestors helped shape the cultural landscape of Cumbria and the Lake District.