Camlann Medieval Village

See Roger the Goliard for more information about the founder of Camlann Medieval Association.

Here follows an essay by Rowenna de Manning about the founding of Camlann Medieval Village, sourced from public information, the Camlann website present and past, and recollections of building and participating in the first five years of Camlann Village.

In 1981, Roger Shell, known in the SCA as Roger the Goliard, founded a company, Camlann Enterprises, for the purpose of buying property to establish a historic village park depicting a medieval village in southern England in the year 1376. Establishing a historic village park with a specific time and place was a long-held desire that he spoke of to friends.

The first Camlann Medieval Village Fair took place on three weekends in August 1981 on a few acres of rented property just off Cherry Valley Road near Duvall. The site was rustic. Paths and a tourney field were cleared mostly with chain saws and hand tools. Timber and canvas booths and a stage were constructed. Roger submitted paid advertisements to the Crier to notify nearby SCA groups of the opportunity to volunteer at the fair. He advertised the fair to the public using posters and community notices in local newspapers.

He located a property in Carnation and purchased in 1982. In 1986, Roger incorporated the Camlann Medieval Association, a non-profit organization, and received grants from arts organizations such as 4Culture, in support of establishing a more permanent Camlann Medieval Village. He served as President from 1986 to 2025. Camlann Medieval Association is enrolled in The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums.

The property he purchased at 10320 Kelly Road NE, Carnation, Washington in 1982 was slowly developed over the next year, mostly by volunteer labor done by supporters of the project, establishing paths, booths, and open areas needed for the medieval village. A parking lot was cleared next to Kelly Road. Booths were constructed of timber and canvas. A refreshment stand was built. In August of 1983, the site opened to paying visitors for its first year of weekend village activities. For the first two years, Roger placed a paid advertisement in the Crier to notify nearby SCA groups of the opportunity to volunteer at the fair. The fair was advertised to the public primarily using flyers, community notices, and word of mouth.

Roger subsequently established an annual summer season and the village opened on the weekends of July and August, with performers of music, dance, puppetry, magic, storytelling, period crafts, and craft demonstrations. There was SCA-style heavy armored combat in a tourney field overlooked by a raised stage where ladies witnessed the deeds of knights and rewarded winners. There were festivals held occasionally on other weekends, and special events. A re-creation of a medieval inn was built on the Camlann site and is a modest restaurant serving cuisine of the late 14th century family-style, a few days each week, reservations required. Over time, additional re-creations of 14th century buildings were constructed. Camlann Village is an attractive and educational re-creation of a village in England in 1376.

Camlann Medieval Village and Camlann Medieval Association were not established by and are not part of the SCA.