May Half term
29th May to 6th June 2021 10am to 4pm
Normal admission: Tickets must be pre-booked BOOK HERE
Join us to discover our ancient past and get hands on with history. Throughout the half term week we will have a range of demonstrations and displays about ancient life as you explore our timeline of buildings from the Stone Age to the Saxons.
As part of our half term activities we’re taking part in Chichester Roman Week - Discover our recently refurbished and decorated villa and experience what life in a Roman Villa would have been like almost 2000 years ago!
In 2017 Butser Ancient Farm launched an ambitious villa renovation project to improve the presentation and facilities at the villa. Based on excavations from Sparsholt near Winchester, the villa is now welcoming guests, with a working hypocaust, beautifully painted brightly coloured walls, a mosaic floor, toilets, furnishings and decoration fit for a Roman family to move in!
There will also be a Roman themed children's trail and hands on activities for the whole family to try as you discover Butser's timeline of ancient homes from the Stone Age to the Saxons.
Please see below for an outline of the activities which we hope to offer each day (please note many activities are offered by our wonderful volunteers and may be subject to change)
Saturday 29th May: Meet the Iron Age Celt, have a go at chalk carving, get digging in our archaeology pits and discover Roman textiles
Sunday 30th May: The Roman Legion will be in residence in our Villa, have a go at chalk carving and discover how we spin wool in the Iron Age.
Monday 31st May: The Roman Legion will be in residence in our Villa, have a go at chalk carving and discover how we spin wool in the Iron Age, try cordage in the Stone Age.
Tuesday 1st June: Meet Romans, have a go at chalk carving, watch flintknapping demonstrations, and discover how we spin wool.
Wednesday 2nd June: Meet the Saxons, have a go at chalk carving, see how we dye wool and textiles using natural materials and discover how we spin wool.
Thursday 3rd June: have a go at chalk carving and cordage and have a go at artefact analysis.
Friday 4th June: have a go at chalk carving, artefact analysis and making trollen braids.
Saturday 5th June: have a go at chalk carving, excavate in our archaeology pits, see how we dye wool and textiles using natural materials and discover how we spin wool.
Sunday 6th June: Meet the Saxons, have a go at chalk carving, excavate in our archaeology pits and discover how we spin wool.
All activities are being planned in a Covid secure way, and we will be limiting numbers on site in order to comply with social distancing and give the best experience for all. We are pleased to have been awarded a ‘Good to Go’ certification from Visit England in recognition of the steps we have taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. For more information about the extra safety steps we’ve taken please visit our Reopening Page.
