Dahrg de Belne

Dahrg (Dark age historical reenactment group) de Belne are a group based in Birmingham who cover the period 950 to 1065.

The group grew from Mercia/Birmingham and started raising money for a community project for a rebuild of a grade 2 listed building that was burned down in the late 80s. In 1990 John Sheard was a member of a youth community that started a youth group at a partly restored Bell's Farm community centre.

In 1989 the Group worked with Birmingham historian Carl Chinn, who worked for the University of Birmingham as Professor of Community History. John Sheard mentioned to Carl Chinn that he was working with Bell's Farm and Carl helped with research that showed that Bell's Farm had stood on that location well into the 1900s as a farm and the BELLEN family had owned the land right up to 1972. This is where the name Dahrg de Belne came from.

The shield was yellow with a black cog that had been adapted from the Sheard family crest of a shield on a pink background with Fleur-de-lis and the black cog taken from the Society cog. Over the years it's evolved into a black shield with a yellow cog and a yellow raven to commemorate long-standing founder members.

Data

Formed: ~1993

Herred: 1995

Dissolved:

Area: Birmingham

Group Leaders:

• John Sheard (~1993-2019)
• Carrie White (2020-2023)
• Fiona Ampleford (2023-2025)
• Darren White (2025-)