The Camlann Medieval Association has been awarded a $10,000 building grant by 4Culture to build a new interpretive center and gatehouse on its village site near Carnation. The new facility will enrich the quality of Snoqualmie Valley’s unique medieval living history museum.

Construction begins in June and will be finished by the end of summer or early fall. The building’s timber gates will welcome visitors, and its large reception hall will help transition visitors into 14th century England. A gift shop will offer books, medieval crafts, and souvenirs, and a second shop will provide costume rentals.

The grant also provides for the construction of an entirely authentically-built carpenter’s shop. Construction will take place solely on weekends as part of the village’s living history presentation, allowing visitors to watch medieval tools and techniques at work. Medieval carpenters will hand-hew framing timber with an ax, and connect them with carefully fashioned mortise and tenon fittings.

Camlann Medieval Village is a living history museum open on weekends noon to 5 p.m., May through September. Medieval buildings provide settings for volunteers who portray 14th century English characters going about their daily lives, demonstrating their crafts and talking about life in the middle ages.

Depending on volunteer availability, visitors can watch and often participate in wool dyeing, candle making, blacksmithing, pottery, spinning, weaving, hearth cooking, calligraphy, basket making, and longbow archery. One weekend a month features a medieval festival, with minstrels, puppeteers, knights in armor (July and August), festival-themed activities, and medieval banquets (by reservation only).

Visit www.camlann.org or call (425) 788-8624 for more information. Camlann Medieval Village is located at 10320 Kelly Road NE, Carnation.