This course will introduce you to which parts of an animal are useful for different products, and how to preserve those parts until they can be used. We will cover all basic butchery for both food and utilitarian items, as well as those parts not often seen as useful.
Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc. Running on the 5th, 13th, 19th, and 27th.
Discover prehistoric pottery as you explore our ancient site! See real Stone Age pottery designs, then have a go making your own with a free drop-in clay activity.
Discover Roman living history and combat reenactments with the Butser IX Roman Legion. Find out what life would have been like in Roman Britain as you explore our open air site.
Time Traveller Holiday Club is a unique holiday activity club designed for 6 to 12-year-olds, set in the stunning Hampshire landscape.
Join bestselling author of 'Found and Ground', natural arts materials artist and teacher Caroline Ross for a dive into the colourful world of foraged, historical and natural paints and inks.
Explore the world of Beowulf from a monstrous new perspective with word-weaving storyteller Bernadette Russell in an Iron Age roundhouse.
Learn the ancient skill of spinning fleece into yarn. Discover how to use a simple drop spindle to create a single ply yarn.
Explore the artistry of spoon carving, and discover the timeless craft of carving, shaping, and refining wooden spoons. Connect with tradition and create a functional and personalised piece of art.
Spend the day making copper shadow puppets inspired by folklore of the British Isles. Then gather around the fire in one of our atmospheric Iron Age roundhouses and watch your designs come to life.
Discover life as a Viking! Meet villagers and warriors, see them and their weapons in action, and craft your own mini Viking shield.
Go foraging for writing inspiration, and connect with nature and words on this intergenerational workshop, open to ages 5 to 105!
Time Traveller Holiday Club is a unique holiday activity club designed for 6 to 12-year-olds, set in the stunning Hampshire landscape.
Discover Anglo Saxon life with reenactment group Herigeas Hundas. There’ll be craft demonstrations, displays, talks and combat displays throughout the Easter weekend.
Join us under the gentle glow of the new moon as we come together, connect, craft and reset for the month ahead. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of deep connection and personal renewal.
Step back in time and experience the wonders of ancient copper metallurgy! From smelting copper from malachite to creating bronze alloys and casting your own metal object, you’ll be hands-on with the processes that shaped human history.
Create a Stone Age Sewing Kit with natural materials under the guidance of Sally Pointer. Explore the evidence for kits based on archaeology and anthropology.
Join experimental archaeologist Sally Pointer to learn sprang, a method of plaiting on stretched threads that can be traced back several thousand years.
An incredible afternoon & evening of spectacular entertainment! Join us for the Celtic festival Beltain and welcome in the summer with live folk music, reenactor battles, local craftsfolk, and the burning of a 40ft wickerman. Celebrate the ancient May Day in this unique fire festival!
Guided by two experienced maille-makers, learn to make your own piece of history to take away with you. Craft a bracelet, patch, and three links of riveted maille to gain hands-on experience of various methods.
Learn an endangered craft deeply rooted to rural life, from one of the last remaining tutors in the country. Connected to the rhythms of the earth, corn dollies were also known as harvest tokens. A soothing and relaxing activity, this workshop is beginner friendly.
Immersive yourself in the ancient art of oral storytelling and experiment with creative writing of all kinds. Be inspired by the full moon and the land on which Butser Ancient Farm stands.
Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc. Running on the 11th, 18th, 31st.
Step back in time and experience the wonders of ancient copper metallurgy! From smelting copper from malachite to creating bronze alloys and casting your own metal object, you’ll be hands-on with the processes that shaped human history.
Join us under the gentle glow of the new moon as we come together, connect, craft and reset for the month ahead. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of deep connection and personal renewal.
Learn how to craft a matching set of Viking weave jewellery in our Saxon Hall. Guided by expert Holly Berkley, craft a necklace and beaten spiral pendant, a bracelet, matching earrings and a beaten spiral ring.
Discover metalworking through the ages! See the technology that changed the world up close with demonstrations throughout the weekend, and hear talks by master metalworkers all about this ancient craft.
Guided by expert Holly Berkley, craft a wire tree set on a stone, and discover how to sculpt it to your desired shape.
Ahoy there! You are invited to board the Sailorette and join the plentiful crew, 'The Old Time Sailors', for a night of footstomping, dancing and singing!
Explore the evidence surrounding Otzi with archaeologist Vanessa Bunton. Learn the skills to create Otzi’s knife sheath and use lime bast to make your own version to take home.
Discover a craft that has never been replicated by a machine! Learn the traditional and sustainable craft of basket weaving on this relaxed day course working with willow.
Discover Roman living history and combat reenactments with the Butser IX Roman Legion. Find out what life would have been like in Roman Britain as you explore our open air site.
Learn the ancient techniques used to shape flint, and create your very own hafted tool with flint, wood, twine, and pitch.
Reach back in time to discover how the ancient world was connected through amber. Create your own amber pendant and string under the guidance of experimental archaeologist Vanessa Bunton.
Learn to make a decorated copper arm cuff in the style of Viking jewellery. On this course, you will use the technique ‘chasing and repoussé’ to make simple patterns on a band of copper, which you will later form into an arm cuff.
Join Jason Buck and Dave Tonge for an afternoon of culture and comedy, from the annals of Chaucer's medieval writing, rebooted and reshod for modern audiences.
Join Jason Buck and Dave Tonge for an afternoon of culture and comedy, from the annals of Chaucer's medieval writing, rebooted and reshod for modern audiences on a warm summer evening.
Create a rush gathering basket using a variety of skills such as using a paring weave, creating a track border, and making cordage.
Guided by two experienced maille-makers, learn to make your own piece of history to take away with you. Craft a bracelet, patch, and three links of riveted maille to gain hands-on experience of various methods.
Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc. Running on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 28th.
Immerse yourself in nature and discover our ancestors’ most versatile little plant, used in clothing, cooking, and healing. It’s not just a weed! Forage for wild nettles and learn to spin their fibres into thread.
Gather beneath the full moon in a Saxon meadhall to release, reflect and renew in a supportive circle. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of gentle movement, oracle card pulls, meditation or a soothing sound bath to celebrate the lunar cycle.
Join us for a unique Summer Solstice experience where we will gather around the fire in our Iron Age roundhouse to hear stories and bathe in the sound of gongs.
Join us for a unique overnight storytelling and musical experience in our beautiful Iron Age roundhouse. Explore the profound wealth of Celtic stories as doorways to the past and celebrate the sun!
Celebrate the longest day of the year with music, merriment, and sun-soaked mead! Join us for a weekend of dance, yoga, food, and fun as we mark midsummer at Butser.
Step back in time and experience the wonders of ancient copper metallurgy! From smelting copper from malachite to creating bronze alloys and casting your own metal object, you’ll be hands-on with the processes that shaped human history.
Learn to make and use this prehistoric hunting technology. Create a complete set including a Dart, tipped with a stone tip and hafted with prehistoric glue, and carve your own Spearthrower.
Celebrate summer solstice by crafting a carrier of light! Create a copper flower tealight holder in our wonderful intergenerational workshop.
Don’t just study history — experience it! Get away from the classroom and hands on with a special day of fun and educational activities bringing history to life.
Join us under the gentle glow of the new moon as we come together, connect, craft and reset for the month ahead. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of deep connection and personal renewal.
Celebrate spring and the spellbinding sounds of the harp in the ancient setting of Butser’s Great Roundhouse, with renowned concert harpist Keziah Thomas.
Join bestselling author of 'Found and Ground', natural arts materials artist and teacher Caroline Ross for a dive into the colourful world of foraged, historical and natural paints and inks.
Celebrate Mother’s Day 2025 in the heart of Hampshire with free entry for mothers and mother figures, drop-in crafts workshops, rare baby lambs, and more!
Join us under the gentle glow of the new moon as we come together, connect, craft and reset for the month ahead. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of deep connection and personal renewal.
Learn to cook some of England’s oldest recipes like sweet Saxon bread, nettle and wild garlic soup, and meadowsweet mead, and feast in an authentic Saxon hall! Vegan-friendly options included.
Learn the ancient techniques used to shape flint, and create your very own hafted tool with flint, wood, twine, and pitch.
Guided by two experienced maille-makers, learn to make your own piece of history to take away with you. Craft a bracelet, patch, and three links of riveted maille to gain hands-on experience of various methods.
Celebrate the Spring Equinox by making a crown and a wreath. Reflect on the changing seasons while doing this meditative practice.
Learn the most ancient skill there is: how to prepare an animal for the table. Skin, butcher, and cook a deer using traditional tools, techniques, and recipes.
Step back in time and experience the wonders of ancient copper metallurgy! From smelting copper from malachite to creating bronze alloys and casting your own metal object, you’ll be hands-on with the processes that shaped human history.
Discover the sound of our ancestors and craft an ancient instrument used in performance and ritual by Neolithic, Celtic, Viking, and modern peoples. Running each day this weekend.
Join us for a unique overnight storytelling and music experience in our beautiful Iron Age roundhouse. Explore the profound wealth of Celtic stories as doorways to your inner worlds.
Discover how we turn archaeological evidence into award-winning reconstructions on this exclusive two-hour tour with our experimental archaeologist.
Join award-winning storyteller Jason Buck around the crackling fire in Butser’s Great Roundhouse as he brings seasonal tales to life. Hear fantastic stories and gaze at the crackling fire, while visiting a truly unique setting.
Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc. Running on the 7th, 14th, 23rd, 29th.
Enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Butser Ancient Farm while crafting pomander beads to take home with you.
Discover how we turn archaeological evidence into award-winning reconstructions on this exclusive two-hour tour with our experimental archaeologist.
Join us under the gentle glow of the new moon as we come together, connect, craft and reset for the month ahead. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of deep connection and personal renewal.
Join storyteller Bernadette Russell around the fire for celestial stories about the stars during the South Downs Dark Skies Festival this February half term.
Get hands-on and muck in with a team of local young folk, and spend a day working on site at Butser Ancient Farm!
Get hands on with history this February half term! A great day out for all the family with a children’s trail, hands-on crafts and activities, demonstrations, and more every day.
Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc. Running on the 7th, 14th, 23rd, 28th.
Join us around the great roundhouse hearth to share in a special celebration of the Celtic festival of Imbolc, hosted by storyteller and woodland bard Jonathon Huet.
Come make a hullabaloo in the Butser Orchard! Gather after sundown and follow our Wassail Queen in a torchlit procession through time to discover the ancient tradition of Wassailing.
Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc. Running on the 17th, 24th, and 31st.
Join us under the gentle glow of the new moon as we come together, connect, craft and reset for the month ahead. Visit the farm after dark for an evening of deep connection and personal renewal.
Explore our ancient buildings brought to life by festive crafts & activities this Christmas, and discover festive traditions from a time before commercial holidays!
Gather in the Great Roundhouse as we mark the shortest day of the year with an afternoon of storytelling and meditation. Jonathon Huet will recite the ancient stories of the Celtic traditions with gentle drumming, poetry and prose.
Explore our ancient buildings brought to life by festive crafts & activities this Christmas, and discover festive traditions from a time before commercial holidays!
As winter wraps us with her icy cloak, step into a world of yuletide tales by the glowing hearth, told by award-winning storyteller Jason Buck!
Treat yourself or your family to a whole year of incredible days out with our annual passes!
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