Midwinter celebrations with the Experimentalists

The Experimentalists are an exciting volunteer team here at Butser, working on experimental projects to bring our ancient houses to life. After completing a Mesolithic shelter and creating a bed for our Bronze Age house, they have turned their attention to the Iron Age with several new projects. In this update, Margaret Taylor (Experimentalist and volunteer librarian) shares a short update on the team’s progress.

The Experimentalists have had a great year. Our team has grown considerably, and we have been able to complete a number of projects. ‘Our iron age house ‘ is looking much more homely. It has all been cleaned and tidied and we have tried to designate, different zones; cooking, sleeping, warfare (shield), tools etc – all work in progress. There are shelves on the walls. The bed has been repaired and has new bedding. Our iron age occupants now have new clothes to wear.

The latest addition is a work bench/table, made by Moo, and other members of the group. We put this table to good use for our end of year ‘feast’. We all contributed food, to accompany the main dish; a very tasty lentil and beetroot dahl, made by Sarah.

Pottery is drying by the fire – Colin has been leading a pottery group, and we hope to fire some items in the coming weeks.

I have chosen just a few photographs; it was really hard to choose, as the group have been really productive.  More will follow in the coming months!

On the left: Claire and Riley. Claire has been replicating Ötzi, the Ice-man’s tool kit – definitely more on this later!

On the right: Moo loves working with wood, and made this wonderful table. This will be a great addition to the house. Unfortunately, Moo is leaving the group, but we will miss her and wish her all the best for the future.

All for now – Happy New Year from the Experimentalist team.

If you’re not a volunteer with us but are interested in becoming one, find out more about volunteering at Butser here.

Full moon calendar 2025: dates, names, and insights

Ancient Mesopotamian farmers, Celtic druids, Roman philosophers, Aztec priests, and you. No matter where you are in the world, or even in history, we all see the same moon.

The full moon has been important to many cultures throughout history and around the world, and it’s still important to many today. Whether you’re tracking the full moon in 2025 for gardening, stargazing, wellness, or something else, our guide has you covered with everything you need to know — including insights into ancient moon gods, astrology, and ways to celebrate the full moon!

Full moon dates and times in 2025

Here’s the complete lunar calendar 2025 for full moons, including dates, times (GMT/BST), and their traditional names:

• January 13, 2025 – Wolf Moon (22:27 GMT)

• February 12, 2025 – Snow Moon (13:53 GMT)

• March 14, 2025 – Worm Moon (06:55 GMT)

• April 13, 2025 – Pink Moon (01:22 BST) — supermoon!

• May 12, 2025 – Flower Moon (17:56 BST) — supermoon!

• June 11, 2025 – Strawberry Moon (08:44 BST)

• July 10, 2025 – Buck Moon (21:37 BST)

• August 9, 2025 – Sturgeon Moon (08:55 BST)

• September 7, 2025 – Harvest Moon (19:09 BST)

• October 7, 2025 – Hunter's Moon (04:48 BST)

• November 5, 2025 – Beaver Moon (13:19 GMT)

• December 5, 2025 – Cold Moon (23:14 GMT)

Special moons in 2025

Supermoons 2025

Supermoons occur when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, and they appear larger and brighter than regular full moons. In astronomical terms, this time when the moon is closest is called the perigee, and as well as making the moon appear larger than normal it also affects the tides!

Although the perigee happens around every 28 days it has to coincide with the moon being full for us to get a supermoon, so they’re pretty rare. In 2025, we’ll see two supermoons: the April Pink Moon and the May Flower Moon.

Blue moons 2025

While the moon can sometimes appear blue due to atmospheric affects, when we say ‘blue moon’ we usually mean the second full moon in a calendar month. This is called an astronomical blue moon and only happens every two to three years, so it really is ‘once in a blue moon’!

The next astronomical blue moon won’t happen until May 31 2026, so unfortunately we’ve got a bit of a wait.

Traditional full moon names

Throughout history, people have named the moons to reflect the changing seasons. Many ancient cultures likely used one name for both the moon and the month, making these some of the earliest calendars. Unfortunately a lot of the early names and origins, especially Celtic, are poorly sourced and vulnerable to misinformation, so always bear that in mind when looking at moon names.

Here are the common names for the moon in use today, as well as some different names used by others:

January – Wolf Moon

Named for the howling wolves of midwinter, this name reflects themes of survival and connection. The name was first recorded in North America but is often attributed to Europe, possibly with a Celtic or Anglo-Saxon origin.

Other names for this moon include Cold Moon (Cree), Hard Moon (Dakota), and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe), Quiet Moon (Celtic), and Moon After Yule (Anglo-Saxon).

February – Snow Moon

This name is attributed to both Native American and Anglo-Saxon traditions, and is often thought to symbolise resilience and endurance. Other names include Storm Moon (Celtic), Hungry Moon (Cherokee), Bear Moon (Ojibwe and Tlingit), Eagle Moon (Cree), and Bone Moon (Cherokee). Depending on the date of Easter, this moon may have been called Lenten Moon in Anglo-Saxon traditions.

March – Worm Moon

This moon symbolises renewal and fertility, and the name is reflects the thawing of the ground and emergence of worms from the earth and tree bark. Anglo-Saxon names for this moon apparently range from Lenten Moon to Egg Moon, depending on the date of Easter, and the Celts may have called it Wind Moon or Plough Moon. Meanwhile, Native American names include Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), Sore Eyes Moon (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine), and Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo).

April – Pink Moon

Named after a North American pink windflower that blooms around this time, this moon symbolises growth and heralds the beginning of spring. These themes are common among its other names, including Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin), Moon When Ducks Come Back (Lakota), and Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit), as well as the Celtic Seed Moon and Anglo-Saxon Egg Moon – or Milk Moon if Easter has already passed.

May – Flower Moon

Celebrating the blossoming of flowers in spring, this moon name represents growth and abundance, and is attributed to Algonquin, Ojibwe, and possibly even Anglo-Saxon or Celtic tradition. Other Native American names include Leaf Budding Moon (Cree) and Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota), while some suggested Anglo-Saxon or Celtic names include Milk Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon, Grass Moon, or Mothers’ Moon.

June – Strawberry Moon

Although strawberries as we know them originate in Europe, this name comes from Native American traditions among the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples, and reflects the ripening of berries and abundance of early harvest. The month of the summer solstice, this may have been known to Celts as Mead Moon or Horse Moon, and in Anglo-Saxon tradition as Flower Moon or Hay Moon. Other Native American names include Berries Ripen Moon (Haida), Birth Moon (Tlingit), and Hatching Moon (Cree).

July – Buck Moon

The name of this moon is attributed to Native American tradition and refers to deer growing in their antlers at this time, symbolising strength and renewal. Other names include Herb Moon (Celtic), Hay Moon (Anglo-Saxon), Feather Moulting Moon (Cree), Salmon Moon (Tlingit), Raspberry Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe), and Thunder Moon (Abenaki).

August – Sturgeon Moon

Named for the large migratory fish in North America’s Great Lakes and rivers, this moon represents prosperity. An Anglo-Saxon name for this moon may have been Grain Moon or Fruit Moon, and other Native American names include Flying Up Moon (Cree), Mountain Shadows Moon (Tlingit), and Ricing Moon (Ashinaabe).

September – Corn Moon or Harvest Moon

The moon in September can have one of two names, depending on how close it is to the autumn equinox. Traditionally the moon closest to the equinox is called the Harvest Moon, following Anglo-Saxon tradition; if that moon falls in October instead, the September moon becomes the Corn Moon. Associated with harvest and winter preparations, this moon is also called Falling leaves Moon (Ojibwe), Child Moon (Tlingit), Mating Moon (Cree), and Wine Moon (Celtic).

October – Hunter’s Moon or Harvest Moon

If the closest moon to the equinox doesn’t fall in October, then this moon is called the Hunter’s Moon – an Anglo-Saxon name. The Anglo-Saxons had another name for this moon, though: Blood Moon. But whether people were hunting animals or slaughtering livestock, this moon reflects the process of fattening up and preserving food for winter. Other names include Drying Rice Moon (Dakota), Freezing Moon (Ojibwe), and Migrating Moon (Cree).

November – Beaver Moon

Similar to the Hunter’s Moon, Beaver Moon’s name refers to the laying of traps before winter. Meanwhile, in Anglo-Saxon tradition this moon could be named Moon Before Yule, and other names include Dark Moon (Celtic), Frost Moon (Cree, Assiniboine), Deer Rutting Moon (Dakota, Lakota), Digging Moon (Tlingit), and Oak Moon (Celtic).

December – Cold Moon

Marking the arrival of winter, the name of this moon has been attributed to the Mohawk people, although some neopagans claim it as part of the Celtic tradition. Other names include Long Night Moon (Mohican), Little Spirit Moon (Anishinaabe), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), and Moon Before Yule (Old English).

The full moon in the ancient world

We all know Stonehenge aligns with the sun, but ancient cultures were just as interested in the moon. Here’s just a few of the associations with the moon made by ancient cultures:

Time

It’s natural that the moon has long been associated with time, and many calendars in both the ancient world and today follow the lunar cycles. Many moon deities are associated with time: the ibis-headed ancient Egyptian moon god Thoth was believed to be the creator of the 365-day year, Norse moon god Máni was described as ‘year-counter’, and Shinto moon god Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto’s name means ‘moon/month counting’ in Old Japanese.

Knowledge & wisdom

In many cultures throughout history, the moon as been linked to divine wisdom and learning. Ancient Egyptian moon god Thoth was credited with inventing hieroglyphs and inspiring all discoveries, Hindu moon god Chandra symbolises mental clarity and intuition, and Greek Artemis was associated with both intelligence and the moon.  

Life & death

The moon’s phases of waxing and waning mirror themes of birth, death, and rebirth, and we can see this connection in some moon gods too. Moon deities associated with death include Coyolxāuhqui, an Aztec goddess of the moon and sacrifice, as well as Mesopotamian moon god Sin and Egyptian Thoth, who were both involved in judging the dead.

On the other hand, many moon deities are associated with life: Thoth helped the slain god Osiris to be reborn; Khonsu, another Egyptian moon god, created new life in all living creatures; Hindu Chandra and Mesopotamian Sin are connected with plant growth and abundance; and many moon godesses are associated with fertility, from Mayan Ix Chel to Roman Luna.

Feminine energy

One of the moon’s strongest associations throughout history is with the feminine. The Greek and Roman pantheons both saw moon goddess Selene/Luna as the counterpoint to the male sun god Helios/Sol, and in Chinese philosophy the feminine and intuitive Yin energy is associated with the moon, while the masculine and forceful Yang energy is associated with the sun.

Does the full moon affect humans?

The full moon has many effects on the world, strengthening tides, increasing the birth rate of cows, and possibly even making animals more aggressive, and it’s long been believed that it can affect human behaviour too, from sleepwalking to increased murder rates. It’s where we get our word ‘lunatic’ from, after all – but is there any truth to it?

Science says yes – the full moon actually affects our sleep, which can have consequences on our mood and mental health. According to a study from 2021, humans typically go to bed later, take longer to get to sleep, and get less deep sleep during the full moon — and a study in 2022 suggested that men are more affected than women. Then again, there’s been a lot of contradictory evidence about the full moon and sleep, so it’s still a matter of debate in the science world.

Astrological insights for full moons in 2025

When people talk about their zodiac signs, they often mean their sun sign – but the moon moves through the zodiac constellations too. Where sun signs are thought to represent the conscious, active, front-facing parts of your personality, your moon sign is thought to represent your emotional, inner mind – similar to the Yin and Yang associations with the sun and moon.

The moon moves through each zodiac sign through the year, and astrologists believe that the moon’s energy is affected by the sign it’s in. Even if this isn’t something you believe, if you use the full moon as a tool for self-reflection, meditation, and grounding, these monthly themes may be helpful in guiding your thoughts and practice.

Here are the signs and meanings of each full moon in 2025:

• January – Cancer: Emotional depth, focus on home and nurturing relationships.

• February – Leo: Creativity, self-expression, and confidence.

• March – Virgo: Organisation, health, and attention to detail.

• April – Libra: Harmony, balance, and partnerships.

• May – Scorpio: Intensity, transformation, and emotional release.

• June – Sagittarius: Adventure, optimism, and exploration.

• July – Capricorn: Structure, discipline, and long-term goals.

• August – Aquarius: Innovation, independence, and humanitarian causes.

• September – Pisces: Spirituality, intuition, and emotional healing.

• October – Aries: Boldness, action, and new beginnings.

• November – Taurus: Grounding, stability, and sensuality.

• December – Gemini: Communication, adaptability, and curiosity.

How to use full moon energy in 2025

Whether you’re using the full moon for practical, personal, or spiritual reasons, here are some ways you can mark the strongest point in the lunar cycle:

• Practice mindfulness. We can all be better at checking in with ourselves every now and again, and the full moon is the perfect time for this. Try journaling, meditating, or practicing self care, and use the full moon as a time to let go of negativity and set intentions for growth.

• Create a lunar garden. Many farmers and gardeners plan planting and harvesting by lunar cycles, as it’s believed the phases of the moon can affect moisture levels in soil and promote root growth. Moisture levels are highest at the full moon, so it’s a great time to plant new seeds!

• Try a moon bath. Connect with nature and the moon by spending time outdoors under the moonlight. Some people bathe outside or go wild swimming, but you can also use this as an opportunity to stargaze, meditate, or simply enjoy a relaxing experience in the nighttime world without artificial light.

Final thoughts on the 2025 lunar calendar

The full moon means many things to many people, and has been a time of significance and symbolism for thousands of years. From supermoons to seasonal rituals, mindfulness to gardening, these lunar phases can provide inspiration for everyone, whether you’re a casual observer or deeply connected to lunar cycles.

Mark your calendars with 2025’s full moons and prepare to bask in the moonlight as we journey through the year!

We've won the Sandford Award!

We are absolutely delighted to share some wonderful news with you all — Butser Ancient Farm has won the Sandford Award! 🎉 This prestigious award is the ultimate gold star for heritage education, and we couldn’t be more proud of our team and everything we’ve built here. Read on to hear what they said about us, and what this means for Butser’s future!

If you’re not familiar with it, the Sandford Award recognizes heritage sites that deliver outstanding learning experiences. Think of it as Ofsted for museums, historic sites, and places like us, where the judges look for exceptional school trips and educational offerings that support schools and the curriculum.

Here’s what they said about us (and yes, we’re blushing a little):

‘Schools visiting Butser Ancient Farm can expect an exciting and memorable experience packed with hands-on activities in immersive spaces. Pupils will leave with deeper knowledge and historical understanding, curious to know more and pleased with the results of their efforts, whether twisting bronze for jewellery or building a wattle fence. The beautiful landscape and impressive reconstructed houses provide a wonderful setting for exploring local heritage guided by passionate and knowledgeable staff.’

A huge thank you to the judges for such kind words! We’re honestly so chuffed with this result, and so incredibly proud of our education team for receiving such glowing praise.

For over 50 years, we’ve been dedicated to bringing the ancient past to life, driving forward our research and spurring us to share what we learn with our visitors. Whether you’re stepping into a reconstructed roundhouse, trying your hand at ancient skills like spinning or pottery, or even just soaking up the atmosphere of our beautiful site, we’re all about creating unforgettable experiences for every visitor.

Our educational programme has been a real labor of love – we’ve designed it to inspire curiosity, creativity, and teamwork, while also ticking all those National Curriculum boxes for schools. Our trips are hands-on and experiential, and cover not just history but art, design and technology, science, maths, and more. The programme has evolved and developed so much over the years (and is continuing to do so!) and we’re so grateful to see our hard work validated like this.

Simon Jay, our Director, sums it up perfectly: ‘We’re thrilled to receive the Sandford Award, which is a testament to the hard work and passion of our team. At Butser, we strive to connect people with the ancient past in meaningful and inspiring ways. This award not only celebrates the impact of our educational programme but also helps us to continue expanding and enriching our offerings for schools and visitors alike.’

And we’re not stopping here. We’ve got big plans to make our workshops and activities even more immersive, with exciting new ways to explore history hands-on. Whether you’re a school group or a curious visitor, there’s always something fresh to discover at Butser.

If you haven’t visited us yet (or even if you have), we’re gearing up for 2025 so you can come and see why the judges were so impressed. We can’t wait to welcome you, and who knows – you might leave with a new skill or two!

Here’s to celebrating history, hands-on learning, and this incredible recognition. Thank you to all of you for supporting us and being part of the Butser story!

Learn more about our educational programme here.

DIY Bronze Age Style - update from the Experimentalists

Since the Experimentalists volunteer team began work renovating our Bronze Age roundhouse (see their last update here), they’ve been working tirelessly to not just repair damage but bring the house to life with new furnishings and decorations. With that project coming to an end, Margaret Taylor (Experimentalist and volunteer librarian) shares an update on the team’s work, and a look ahead to their next project.

The whole Bronze Age roundhouse needed tidying up; the walls and the floor. The floor needed attention as the entrance area had become quite uneven. We worked on an experimental patch at the back, using chalk, mud and water. However, this was not robust, although it looked good. After consultation with the Butser team, who repaired the drainage ditch outside the door, and provided some heavy digging help to prepare the ground, we altered the recipe and concocted a heavier duty mix of sieved mud/chalk, and water and completed the work.

Simultaneously, on our Thursday work days, another group tackled the repair of the rear wall of the roundhouse. The wall wattle was repaired and Jacqui added straw bundles between the wall and the roof. The next step was the daubing. Horse manure is a vital component, and was kindly donated from Clare’s horse. Jacqui, who was part of Operation Nightingale group, who originally built the hut, led the way and trained up other group members. It was finally completed by two enthusiastic volunteers; who slapped on the gungy mixture, which worked best on wet walls. This was particularly enjoyed by one of our newest recruits!

We added a colourful painted design to one of the chalk walls. However, although the design looks good it began peeling after less than two weeks, as the chalk wall covering is not robust enough for to retain the paint. A lime wash is more suitable; as shown by other hut decorations at Butser.

Alongside this, come rain or shine (retreating to another hut in inclement weather!), another group worked upon our peg loom mattress, which is steadily growing, with a smart brown and white design, and will be very cosy when completed. It will make a great addition to the Bronze age bed. On sunny days, whilst working outside, this activity proved particularly popular with visitors, who enjoyed chatting to us, and sometimes joining in. Of course, visitors have been interested in all aspects of our work too; some arrive with valuable background knowledge too! But all enjoy hearing about the Farm.

Exploring Iron Age pottery

The Experimentalists have been learning new skills: making pottery. This led me to delve into the history books to find out more.

Francis Pryor (Britain BC) describes how as people became more sedentary and the size of their communal territories became smaller, they adopted pottery.

Of course, it would have taken a very long time before this new skill to spread across Europe, beginning in the Middle East, and eventually reaching us in Britain. By the middle Stone Age pottery was everywhere. Then with the Bronze Age “the appearance of Beaker ware marked a sudden change in culture” (Culiffe). The highly decorated pottery had a variety of uses and it was particularly popular for grave goods. The different styles were linked to their place of origin, either locally made or having reach Britain by travelling/trading. For example, those Beaker pots found in central southern Britain were of a ‘maritime derived’ style and finger incised and all -over corded types were found north of the Humber.

By the time we get to the Iron Age pots were thicker and better fired and more likely to survive in excavations. The Danebury Iron Age Fort yielded a great deal of pottery; nearly 160,000 sherds! Barry Cunliffe writes that: “in the early period (c.500-300 BC) two basic pottery forms were in use; fairly shallow open bowls, usually made in fine sandy fabrics; and large jars, used for storage and cooking, made in much coarser gritty wares. The grits were a deliberately added tempering of crushed flint and crushed shell, mixed in to bulk out the clay of the heavier vessels to make it stronger and less susceptible to cracking during firing.” Experimentalist, Moo, had fun and great success with crafting Butser clay, although she knew that had she used the preparation above her pots would have a chance of surviving the firing process.

As I endeavour to ‘master’ this craft, I can confirm that it does get easier with practice! So, I was relieved to read in Barry Cunliffe’s book, that in Tunisian Berber communities the pottery construction was delegated amongst the community. The men and young boys dug the clay and brought it to the farmstead. The old women usually made the basic pottery, whilst the young women added decorations and tended to the firing. Unfortunately, evidence of our actual ancestor’s routines do not survive.

Of course, this wasn’t a hobby for our ancestors; a pleasurable way to spend time on Thursdays over conversation, supplemented by a packed lunch and biscuits. Although I am sure that they too would have enjoyed a good ‘gossip’!  Elizabeth Wayland Barber writes in her excellent book, in relation to women: “Time was thus constantly available for use to promote survival, whether directly (e.g. by preparing food and building shelter) or indirectly – that is, by trying to elicit symbolically what was wanted. The latter is a use that many of us have forgotten”.

Bibliography: Elizabeth Wayland Barber, Women’s Work: The first 20,000 years; Francis Pryor, Britain BC; Barry Cunliffe, Britain Begins and Danebury Hill Fort.

volunteer library reminder

Volunteers: if you would like to read further on this topic your Butser Library contains a wide selection of reading material on this topic. Just don’t forget to log your loans in and out in the book provided (in the coloured folder)!

I must add too, that there have been several books kindly donated to the Library; so if you haven’t visited, pop up and have a look. Once again, please seek out the Borrowing log (in an envelope on one of the lower shelves), and don’t forget to log your books back in when you return them.

If you’re not a volunteer with us but are interested in becoming one, find out more about volunteering at Butser here.

Caring for your homemade drum

Craftsman, musician, and living history practitioner Lewis Beck gives some advice on how to care for drums made with him during our drum making workshops, using steam-bent birch wood and ethically-sourced goat hide. You can check out all our workshops here.

CARE

• Do not leave your drum near any source of intense direct heat for an extended period.

•  The drum head will contract and release depending on the temperature and humidity. If it sounds ‘slack’, simply place your instrument in a warm, dry place.

•  Never leave the drum face down.

•  Clean with a slightly damp cloth.  

•  If you feel like the outside temperature might over-tighten your drum, simply insert a damp washcloth, or spray it with a water bottle.

•  Use Shea Butter, saddle soap or any other leather conditioner to keep it from drying out and protect it from cracking or splitting over time. Remember, add it sparingly!  

Painting

Your drumskin is a brilliant canvas and will hold vivid colours with ease. Here are a few tips for decorating:

•   Only start decorating when the skin is dry.

•   The biggest killer for creativity is hesitation! Trust in yourself and your capability.  

•   Watercolour (Paint and Pencil): Beautiful, vibrant, and easily applied. Just remember to add water sparingly! Coat with acrylic sealant once dry after application.  

•   Acrylic: A good all-round medium. Apply in thin layers with precision. Coat with acrylic sealant once dry after application.  

•   Permanent Ink: Can be used precisely and does not require an acrylic seal. However, it is not forgiving with mistakes!  

REPAIRS

We understand that damaging a loved instrument is a stressful experience, but by following these simple steps, you should have your instrument back to playing order in no time!

Before you start:  

•  What you need:  

-   Patch of goat rawhide

-   Superglue

-   Medium grit sandpaper  

•  Assess the damage to follow the correct repair guidance.

• Please Note: This repair may lead to a minor change in sound to your instrument

Tears / Rips (Up to 5cm length):  

1) Cut out a section of the patch provided slightly larger than the area of the tear.

2) Lay the instrument face first on a level surface.

3) Apply the adhesive to the patch and press flat against the damaged area from INSIDE the instrument.

4) After the adhesive has settled for approximately 1 minute then lightly sand the affected area with the sandpaper provided. The mix of adhesive and skin dust should create an artificial scar.

5) Once dry, use the sandpaper again to even out any imperfections on the skin.

Holes (Up to 1cm diameter):

1) Cut a section of the patch provided to the size of the hole (Patch A).

2) Cut a second section of the patch provided slightly larger than the area of the hole (Patch B).

3) Lay the instrument face first on a level surface.

4) Apply the adhesive around the perimeter of Patch B and press flat against the damaged area from INSIDE the instrument.  

5) After the adhesive has settled for approximately 1 minute, flip the instrument face up.  

6) Place a thin layer of adhesive to Patch A, then place against the front of Patch B.

7) After the adhesive has settled for approximately 1 minute then lightly sand the affected area with the sandpaper provided. The mix of adhesive and skin dust should create an artificial scar.  

8)  Once dry, use the sandpaper again to even out any imperfections on the skin.

 For any further enquiries, please email us at: Leofric.Designs@Outlook.com  

Win a free family ticket!

This summer, go on a time-travelling adventure at Butser for the chance to win a free festival family ticket! Explore the ancient past, learn skills you’d need to thrive, put your knowledge to the test, and enter our competition to find who’d fare the best. The winner will receive a free family ticket to our festive Midwinter Quest, where you’ll be whisked away on a magical journey through winter folklore.

Read on to see how to enter the competition!

Time-travelling adventures this summer

Get in your time machine and discover how you’d get on in the ancient past! Can you find all five secret symbols scattered through time?

Report for duty as a time traveller to collect your Time Passport and start your adventure… Fill out your passport as you learn ancient skills, explore the past, and go digging for archaeology to put your knowledge to the test.

FREE ACTIVITIES EVERY DAY!

Get hands-on and learn eight new skills over the summer in free hands-on workshops for kids and adults alike.

• Every day: Go digging for archaeology 📿

• Mondays: Create chalk art using flint 🎨

• Tuesdays: Make an ancient sun disk pendant ☀️

• Wednesdays: Learn to spin wool 🧶

• Thursdays: Weave willow stars ✨

• Fridays: Learn to braid the Viking way 🪢

• Saturdays: Have-a-go pottery 🏺

• Sundays: Make ancient rope from grass 🌾

Visiting more than once? With our summer 20% discount on annual passes, they’re cheaper than two trips!

Win a festive family ticket

We’re giving away a free family ticket to Midwinter’s Quest! This Christmas, swap Santa’s grotto for the firelit den of the Deer Queen, or the evergreen hall of the Holly King, and go on a magical adventure through festive folklore.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Join us any day during the summer, and start filling out your Time Travel passport

2. Complete your passport by having a go at ancient skills — you can join us for free drop-in workshops, or have a go at home

3. Show us a photo of your completed passport on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to tag us and use the hashtag #ButserSummer to be sure we see!

4. We’ll enter you into a prize draw for the family ticket, and announce the winner on social media

TIP: If you include a picture of you at Butser or having a go at any of the activities, we’ll enter you into the prize draw twice — that’s twice as many chances to win!

We look forward to travelling through time with you! Terms & conditions apply.

Interior Design Project at Dunch Hill Roundhouse by the ‘Experimentalists’

Margaret Taylor, volunteer Butser librarian and member of the Experimentalists volunteer team, shares an exciting look at the team’s recent projects at Butser.

1300 – 1000 BCE. We are on Salisbury Plain, at Dunch Hill. There is a round house, or at least it seems to be, at first sight, although it may be a stores building. We see a small settlement, where the inhabitants are growing domesticate crops; Emner and other wheats and barley. They have also domesticated sheep, cattle, pigs and horses. This small farm is set in landscape with fences and other field boundaries, with natural woods and grasslands.

We know very little about this house, if in fact it was a house, as this was not necessarily the case in a community settlement, and there wasn’t even evidence of a floor or hearth. In fact, everything about this house is experimental, as the only evidence was the post holes.

This is an ideal project for the Experimentalists, a title suggested for us by John Briggs, of our volunteer team, led by Maureen Page. I joined the volunteer team in late September last year, and am thoroughly enjoying being a member of the group. Since then, we have completed our felted draught excluder for the Danebury Iron Age round house (see The Felters publication below), and a cow/deer skin covering for the Mesolithic shelter. We have also begun working upon deer skins, and we will learn to tan them over the coming months, under the expert eye of Jess, Butser’s workshops and ancient crafts mastermind. However, we are now turning our attention to Butser’s Bronze Age house, from Dunch Hill.

Our aim is to make the house look more homely. First the bed needs to be made more comfortable. We have made a straw mattress, tying together bundles of straw. We completed this in the sunshine of a Thursday morning in early July, with the assistance of Nutmeg, the lovely baby goat. She was quite keen on nibbling the straw, and decided that the best place to have a nap was inside one of the big plastic dump bags!

At the same time other members of our team were breaking up lumps of chalk and making up a ‘paint solution’, mixed with water and applying them to the walls. These will then be painted with artistic interpretations of bronze age designs.

Our next project is to learn how to make a sheep’s wool mattress with a peg loom. We know that our Bronze Age ancestors would have used wool. However, very little evidence has survived, and to find out more about Bronze Age textiles, I read the absolutely fascinating accounts of the lake dwelling houses at Must Farm. Information on this is available in the two open access publications on line (see below), and can be downloaded onto your chosen personal device. They have found evidence of looms and spindle whorls on site but not surprisingly, the catastrophic fire at the site, and the sinking of the houses into the lake has not enabled woollen textiles to survive.

All for now, until the next update  - and Maureen has some exciting ideas for us!

If you’re interested, try reading…

Article on Must Farm at Historic England

The Must Farm Pile Dwelling publications - both volumes are fascinating. Volume 1 provides an overview and Volume 2 provides the detailed research techniques etc; the section on materials is very good for discovering much more about their findings.

I would also recommend: Britain BC by Francis Pryor, and Britain Begins by Barry Cunliffe, for overviews of the Bronze Age.

Volunteer resources

If you’re a volunteer, log in to the volunteer section of the Butser website to find resources on all our buildings and periods, including about the Dunch Hill roundhouse.

You can also find Britain BC and Britain Begins in your Butser Library, along with many other titles including this amazing booklet by John — well worth pursuing!

There is a signing in book on the bottom shelf of the library shelves. Please use this, even if the book is not leaving Butser, as it enables us to monitor book loans. When you return the book, please don’t forget to sign it back in!

If you’re not a volunteer with us but are interested in becoming one, find out more about volunteering at Butser here.

Beltain Celtic Fire Festival 2024: Welcoming in the summer!

It’s Beltain! The ancient Celtic festival celebrated at the beginning of summer, and possibly even the origins of May Day. We celebrated this wonderful festival with an afternoon and evening of music, mead, merriment, and of course, the spectacular burning of our 40ft wickerman. Here’s to good company and sunny days!

This year’s wickerman was a bright-eyed, Stone Age stargazer to celebrate our journey building the neolithic Wyke Down reconstruction. Whilst it always feel bittersweet to see our wickerman up in flames, this giant’s presence overlooking our Wyke Down site this Beltain feels like a good omen for the future of our building.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this wonderful event! To everyone who joined us, to all our visitors and volunteers and supporters here, thank you for making things like this possible.

Stay tuned here for some of our favourite pictures from the event!

relive the magic

Watch the full commemorative video on Butser Plus for as little as £2.99!

beltain celtic fire festival 2024 photo gallery

WITH ALL OUR THANKS

We are a small team from a small museum, and Beltain is an incredibly ambitious event for us to hold each year — one only made possible by an incredible number of wonderful people working very hard.

To all our staff and volunteers, thank you for your tireless work in preparing for and running this event! To the Friends of Butser Ancient Farm for your wonderful support, thank you.

To the Saxons of Herigeas Hundas, the Romans of Butser IX Legion, the ancient musicians of Here Be Flagons, to all the other reenactors and living history practitioners who helped bring our ancient farm to life, and to everyone who turned up in costume — thank you.

To the iconic Feckless who always gets us up and dancing, to the brilliant bards of Fae as Folk, to the energetic Courtiers, to the dynamic duo of the Folk Bus, to the the song-master Damh the Bard, to the beautiful sounds of Liz Overs, to the endlessly energetic Pentacle Drummers, and to the classic Ukes of Hazard, thank you for your wonderful performances.

To Jen Atkinson, Kit Helme, Jon Wylie, Tom Bird and Martin Green, thank you for your wonderful talks on herbs, cunning women, singing, dying, foraging and archaeology. To Beltane Border Morris, Flying Iron, the Bowmen of Petersfield, Steamship Circus, Ostara the Bubble Fairy, Jez Smith, and Eva Greenslade, thank you for your work offering unique and incredible performances and experiences, from handfasting to axe throwing to archaeoacoustics.

To Neil Burridge, Corn Dollies by Brigid, Joe the Smithy, Craig the Saxon Forager, Fergus Milton, Jim Clift, and everyone from Colchester Historical Society and the Ancient Wessex Network, thank you for your wonderful demonstrations of ancient crafts and metalworking.

To Jonathon Huet and Dawn Nelson, thank you for bringing such magic with your wonderful stories.

To HantsAstro for your interesting and interactive stall, thank you. To Chalice Mead, Three Copse, the Whitelands Project, Langham Brewery, Mr Whiteheads, and Blackmoor Estate, thank you for supplying us — whether that’s with mead, local greenery, or our very own unique Beltain Cider!

To craftsfolk and traders Butser Crafts, Feral Fibres, the Wood Beyond the World, Intelligent Hand, Pixie Made, the Special Branch, Kevan Dyne, Silverstrand Jewellery, Chris Page Design, Minerva Crafts, Wesnet Services, Pipers Honey, Wild Willow, Luna Skies Creations, Hare and Tabor, Finn’s Fire and Woodcarving, Woody Wonders Twig Pencils, Haus of Paint, Tangled Muses, the Special Branch, Gina McAdam, Amongst the Gorse, Fantastical Kingdoms, Woolleymamma Leather, Willow and Crafts, Petal and Plume, and Gwen’s Garden — thank you!

To Crêpe Britain, Matt with the hog roast, Earth to Oven, the Cookhouse Street Food, Eden Eats, Off Grid Espresso, Stable and Ground, and Sharon and Wendy of the Butser Bakes stand, thank you for all your work to feed everyone!

To friends unnamed but not forgotten, thank you.

And finally, to our supporters on Butser Plus, to our visitors, and to you 💚