An open-air archaeology site in Hampshire where prehistoric and Roman buildings are rebuilt from scratch to test how they actually worked
Butser Ancient Farm is a working experiment rather than a museum of old objects. Archaeologists here put up full-size replicas of ancient buildings — Iron Age roundhouses, a Roman villa, Neolithic houses — using the tools and materials people would have had, then farm and tend the site around them to see how everything holds up. The thatched roundhouses, with their tall conical roofs, are the signature sight, and there are old crop varieties and rare-breed animals about the place. It sits a few miles from Butser Hill and Queen Elizabeth Country Park, where the South Downs Way crosses the downs, an easy walk to pair with a visit. Paid entry, and it’s set up with families and school groups in mind.
