Hire a venue
From films and TV to private events, Butser is a location like no other
A unique location
Hold a feast in our Roman villa, learn firelighting for your corporate team building, stay overnight with your Scout group, or capture a feature film — we can help make your dreams a reality!
Make your special event truly one to remember! Host your friends, family, colleagues, or customers in a truly unique ancient venue.
We can offer a variety of indoor and outdoor ancient spaces to suit any size of gathering, from the intimate to the grand. Some private events we have hosted include:
Corporate functions
Dinner parties
Conferences & AGMs
Commercial & ticketed events
Private workshops
Teambuilding & away days
All our buildings come with their historic furniture, and modern seating, tables, and table dressing can be provided, along with atmospheric lighting. We’ll provide the ambience, you organise the occasion!
Private hire
Filming & photography
Butser Ancient Farm is an ideal location for filming feature films, documentaries and television programmes using our Stone Age, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon buildings as a stunning backdrop. We have a large network of re-enactors, traditional crafts people and archaeologists available for filming projects. We can provide your team with power, WiFi and sell hot and cold drinks and snacks. The farm is nestled into a wooded corner of timeless, sweeping Hampshire downland. Because we are a real working farm, we can also offer shots of prehistoric livestock, cereals and other plants.
Our team are experienced at working with film and TV crews. We have been a film location for feature-length movies, documentaries and TV series including Horrible Histories the Movie, Sky Atlantic’s Brittania, Channel 4’s Time Team, BBC Countryfile and Escape to the Country.
As seen on
Filming 'Horrible Histories - the movie' at Butser Ancient Farm was a total pleasure. Not only is Butser a beautiful location but the authenticity and attention to detail are incredible. The staff who run it are knowledgable, enthusiastic and extremely friendly and made our shoot there a delight. It really is living history and unlike many museums and visitor attractions it is genuinely interactive without unattractive signage and other modern clutter diminishing the experience. As a film location it was incredibly valuable giving the scenes we filmed tremendous texture and realism. I would very happily return to film at Butser again.
Ashton Radcliffe, Supervising Location Manager, Horrible Histories: The Movie, 2019
As a period drama it was a huge privilege to be able to film at Butser Ancient Farm - the level of detail of the roundhouses is incredible. Maureen and her team really helped advise and facilitate a complex and large scale shoot run smoothly.
Duncan Laing, Location Manager, Britannia 2019
Venues
Explore our ancient buildings and spaces available to hire.
Power, wifi, extra lighting, tables/chairs, and projectors & screens can be provided to any building on request.
Great Roundhouse
Our most iconic roundhouse and biggest building on site, the Great Roundhouse is a beautiful and authentic ancient venue featuring a high ceiling, wattle and daub walls, and an impressive inner circle of tree trunk posts.
The Great Roundhouse has minimal historic dressing, making it a perfect location for private events.
Approx. capacity: 90 seated / 120 standing
Horton Hall
A truly ancient space, our Stone Age Horton hall is unique at Butser with its A-frame design and thatched roof reaching down to the ground. It’s a visually stunning building and a magical space for events.
Horton Hall is one of our lightest buildings thanks to its experimental ‘skin window’, and features a half partition wall, allowing it to function as a dual-use space.
Approx. capacity: 50 seated / 70 standing
Roman villa & gardens
The first Roman villa built in the UK for 1,200 years, the villa at Butser is a gorgeous recreation with painted walls and replica mosaics, including an outdoor mosaic made with real Roman tesserae (tiles).
The villa is the only building on site with multiple rooms, making it our most flexible venue and ideal for multi-use functions.
Approx. capacity: 100
Old Saxon hall
One of our two most local buildings, found just the next hill over in Chalton, the Old Saxon hall feels truly early medieval. With whitewashed walls, exposed beams, and a cauldron hanging over the fire, this building is full of historic character.
As well as being an atmospheric location for filming, the Old Saxon hall features a long table (seats 8-10), making it ideal for dining or small gatherings.
Approx. capacity: 30 seated / 50 standing
New Saxon hall
A truly unique building on site, the New Saxon hall is made entirely of hand-hewn timber, an incredible display of craftsmanship from our master treewright. With its exposed beams, slatted walls, and woven hurdle roof, it’s a masterpiece of wooden construction.
The New Saxon hall is spacious and airy, and makes a wonderful space for meetings, dining, and entertainment.
Approx. capacity: 40 seated / 60 standing
Moel y Gerddi roundhouse
Named after the Welsh mountain peak on which it was found, the Moel y Gerddi is our oldest roundhouse here at Butser. With its distinctive purple walls, high roof, and Celtic designs on the walls, it’s also arguably our most picturesque.
The Moel y Gerddi is a large structure, and the roundhouse we use for our handfastings. It’s a beautiful venue for memorable, intimate events.
Approx. capacity: 30 seated / 50 standing
Glastonbury Roundhouse
One of our newest buildings on site, the Glastonbury roundhouse is also the cosiest, featuring fur doors, deerskin-covered benches, and sheep’s fleece draft excluders.
The Glastonbury roundhouse is homey and welcoming, and makes a delightful venue for hospitality and entertainment.
Approx. capacity: 20 seated / 40 standing
Outdoors
Nestled amongst our historic buildings and with views out over the Iron Age village, this tent is perfect for hosting large outdoor events. With great acoustics and plenty of space for tables, it’s the ideal venue for outdoor dining or performances.
Approx. capacity: 120 seated / 150 standing
Stretch tent
The perfect halfway house between indoors and outdoors, these covered pergolas are protected from the weather while giving a gorgeous view of Butser’s historic gardens and buildings. Used for a wide variety of activities, they’re ideal for small outdoor gatherings or activities that benefit from natural light.
Approx. capacity: 10 seated / 20 standing
Forum/Witan
Getting to us
We’re two minutes off the A3 and are easily accessible from London, Portsmouth, and beyond. Get directions →
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Our nearest airports are Southampton and Gatwick. See where to stay locally →
Our nearest train station is Petersfield.
We are on the Number 37 bus line from Petersfield to Clanfield; get off by the Hampshire Hog pub in Clanfield and walk 20 minutes along the road to Butser.
Please remember to check bus and train times before planning your journey!
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Petersfield Taxis: 01730 303030
Petersfield Station Taxi Rank: 0845 600 0650
5 Ways Cars: 01730 260442
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Normally we can’t allow people to stay overnight on site unless it is part of an event or workshop offering. Here’s some nearby accommodation.
Get a quote today
Got questions first?
hello@butserancientfarm.co.uk
02392 598838