Butser Book Festival 2024
Saturday October 19th & Sunday October 20th 2024, 10am - 4pm || Butser Ancient Farm, Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK
An incredible two days of entertainment and inspiration with bestselling writers! Join us for our inaugural book festival celebrating words, worldbuilding and the wilderness that inspires us. We will welcome in the autumn with literary talks covering a range of writing genres, live poetry readings and folk music, local craftsfolk, storytelling, fun activities for all the family, in-depth writing workshops, and book signings, all set against the ancient backdrop of Butser Ancient Farm.
Kindle your creativity, or simply bring your love of books and reading to our unique site for a fun-filled literary weekend this autumn!
Discover a world of books, NATURE and storytelling
Experience exciting and insightful entertainment, talks and workshops, with storytelling, and live poetry readings on nature and folklore to inspire your creativity! Immersive yourself in Saxon lyre and poetry with skald Eorðen, or listen to fascinating talks on writing and researching historical fiction by bestselling authors Lucy Holland, Adrian Goldsworthy, Elodie Harper and Caroline Lawrence by the open fires of the hearth. Ignite your family’s creativity joining a workshop scouring our local Hampshire landscape for inspiration or learning to tell stories imbued with folklore and research.
Get hands-on with learning and interactive fun for adults and kids alike! Try your hand at our folkloric funfair games run by powerhouse zine-team Hwæt!, or have a go crafting quills and cracking codes with our sitewide activities. Browse stalls from incredible illustrators, zine-makers and local writers, meet authors who will sign your books, watch medieval calligraphy and illumination in action (and even bring some home), join workshops exploring the nature surrounding our ancient buildings, and get hands-on learning new skills.
What’s On at Butser book festival
IGNITE YOUR CREATIVITY WITH INSPIRING WORKSHOPS!
Inspiring workshops for book lovers and writers alike, at just £15 a head! Kids under 14 go free (must be accompanied by paying adult).
Getting to butser Book festival in Hampshire
We’re two minutes off the A3 close to Petersfield, and easily accessible from London, Portsmouth, and beyond.
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We are a two minute drive from the A3. Take the A3 between Petersfield and Portsmouth in Hampshire, and come off at the Clanfield exit. Follow the brown signs to Butser Ancient Farm, or directions to Chalton. The entrance to the farm is halfway down the hill on your right.
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Take the train to Petersfield, Hampshire. Catch the Number 37 bus from Petersfield to Clanfield, and come off at the Hampshire Hog in Clanfield. We are a 10 minute walk down the hill from the Hampshire Hog. Please be aware that parts of this walk are on the road with no pavement.
Please remember to check bus and train times before planning your journey! (Unfortunately buses don’t tend to run on a Sunday with the Hampshire Hog stop)
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Our nearest airports in the UK are Southampton and Gatwick. See where to stay locally →
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We have many several local taxi options in Hampshire:
Petersfield Taxis: 01730 303030
Petersfield Station Taxi Rank: 0845 600 0650
5 Ways Cars: 01730 260442
Get tickets now!
Discover fun activities and beautiful writing celebrating the ancient past and nature around us all against the one-of-a-kind setting of Butser Ancient Farm.
Remember to book online for up to 10% off your tickets!
information
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First entrance is at 10am, and last entrance is at 3pm - please be aware we close at 4pm.
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Visitors aged 65 and over, students, and disabled visitors are eligible for our concession ticket. Registered carers are entitled to free or discounted entry.
Children under 3 can always enter for free.
Annual passholders only have to pay the difference to general admission, which comes to £2. Make sure you're logged in and select tickets as normal; the discount will automatically be applied to your basket.
As this is a special event, our other discounts unfortunately do not apply.
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We'll have the amazing Cookhouse Street Food truck at our festival, serving a range of hot, tasty treats from delicious burgers to tacos! (Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options available.)
We also serve light refreshments in our Visitor Centre, including hot and cold drinks, a selection of sandwiches, delicious cakes, and sweet and savoury snacks.
You’re also welcome to bring your own picnic if you prefer.
Across the site you can find picnic benches, or if it’s wet you can cosy up on a bench by the fire in one of our historic buildings!
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Your whole family is welcome to Butser's Book Festival, including your four-legged friends!
We want our Book Festival talks to be an enjoyable experience for everyone, so please be mindful with your dog and take a seat near the exit in case you need to step out for a moment.
Please don't bring your pooch into buildings when workshops are taking place and to respect our other visitors, please keep your dogs on a leash and be sure to clean up after them.
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Unfortunately we’re not able to offer refunds on any of our tickets.