Butser Ancient Farm Ticket Portal

Discover the technology that changed the world! Taught by Thérèse Kearns, Butser’s experimental archaeologist and archaeometallurgist, you’ll learn to use 8,000-year-old tools and techniques to smelt copper from malachite, create a bronze alloy with tin, and cast your own ancient artifact in bronze.

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Discover the sound of our ancestors and craft an ancient instrument used in performance and ritual by Neolithic, Celtic, Viking, and modern peoples.

Guided by craftsman, musician, and living history practitioner Lewis Beck, you will use steam-bent birch wood and ethically-sourced goat hide to create a 16-inch frame drum and beater using ancient techniques.

One-day workshop, 10am - 4pm

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Learn the most ancient skill there is: how to prepare an animal for the table. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn to skin, butcher, and cook a deer using traditional Saxon tools and techniques.

Under the expert guidance of Craig Brooks, author of cookbook Eat Like a Viking!, you’ll discover the ingredients used in Saxon cuisine, prepare them using historic tools, and learn to cook over an open fire in an authentic Saxon hall.

One-day workshop, 10am - 4pm

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Multiple dates, 10am - 3pm – check the calendar!

Discover the metal that changed the world and craft your own bronze sword, axehead, knife, or torc in an intimate two-person workshop.

Under the tutelage of a master metalworker, you’ll choose a design from real archaeology and learn the Bronze Age technique of casting molten metal in sand.

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Learn to cook a Saxon feast and eat like a lord in our Saxon hall!

Learn how to cook Saxon food and taste some of the oldest recipes in England! Discover foods like sweet Saxon bread, nettle and wild garlic soup, and meadowsweet mead, and eat your meal in an authentic Saxon hall.

Under the expert guidance of Craig Brooks, author of cookbook Eat Like a Viking!, you’ll discover the ingredients used in Saxon cuisine, prepare them using historic tools, and learn to cook over an open fire.

About the workshop

• 10am - 4pm with a break for lunch

• Learn to cook a variety of Saxon foods, and enjoy your meal in a Saxon hall

• Decide the menu and recipes to learn on the day

• Set in the unique surroundings of Butser Ancient Farm’s historic buildings

Included in your ticket

Entrance to the farm, a full day’s tuition and expertise, and all the tools, materials, and ingredients necessary to cook a delicious Saxon meal in a historic setting.

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Discover a craft that has never been replicated by a machine… Taught by expert heritage craftsperson Louise Arthur, learn the traditional and sustainable craft of basket weaving and turn natural hedgerow materials into your own frame basket. Choose from a range of wild materials to weave with, or use multiple types to create patterns in your basket!

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Learn to use foraged, wild-growing plants to make prehistoric string, and start work on a coil basket! Guided by Kat Wootton, the Butser cordage expert, you’ll discover the history of this prehistoric craft, learn to extract the natural fibres from various plants, discover ancient methods of cordage-making, and work your new cordage into a simple coil basket.

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Immerse yourself in nature and discover our ancestors’ most versatile little plant, used in clothing, cooking, and healing. Under the expert tutelage of herbalist and textile worker Cathy Guilder, you’ll spend a day harvesting wild nettles and learning to extract and spin their fibres into thread or cord. Running every day this weekend.

More info

Saturday, June 22, 2024 - 10:00 AM  12:30 PM

A unique chance to explore the origins of British language.

This workshop is intended for adults and young adults Suitable with an interest in early history, literature and language in the British Isles.

All profits will go to supporting the ongoing educational and research work of Butser Ancient Farm

Pay what you can: We depend on the good judgement and honesty of participants to contribute fairly.

Learn a million-year-old technology and create one of humanity’s oldest tools! Taught by prehistoric craftsman and experimental archaeologist Jonathan Dymond, travel back to the beginning of human innovation and learn the ancient techniques used to shape flint into tools. On this immersive beginner’s morning, you’ll discover the history of this truly ancient craft, and create your very own hafted flint tool with flint, wood, twine, and pitch.

Morning workshop, 10am - 1pm

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Discover the wealth of delicious plants, mushrooms, and herbs growing wild in nature. Guided by Fern Freud, forager and wild food cook, you’ll explore from our wild-growing areas to our historic gardens, and learn to forage for and cook a feast from nature’s bounty!

One-day workshop, 10am - 2:30pm

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21st April & 31st August

Explore the artistry of spoon carving, and discover the timeless craft of shaping wooden utensils in this hands-on workshop. Led by artist and heritage craftsperson Mandie Molyneux, engage with creativity and craftsmanship to learn the intricate techniques of carving, shaping, and refining wooden spoons. Connect with tradition and transform a simple block of wood into a functional and personalised piece of art.

One-day workshop, 10am - 3pm

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Bring nature into your home and craft a gorgeous handmade hedgerow wreath! Led by heritage craftsperson Kat Wootton, work with exclusively natural and foraged materials from the local countryside to create your own Christmas or Yule wreath to decorate your home. Immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of our Saxon meadhall in this calming escape from the bustle of modern Christmas. Running both days this weekend.

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Explore the ancient art of amulet making, inspired by intricate Anglo Saxon pendants and brooches. Led by artist and maker Lydia Asscher, learn techniques originally developed in the Bronze Age. These methods include Chasing and Repoussé, which were used to craft artefacts such as the Iron Age Battersea Shield. Connect with the natural world by using organic materials to create a personalised piece of art.