Butser Ancient Farm offers activities relevant to the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, all located among our reconstructed ancient buildings, so you can truly feel like you’re stepping back in time.
We take pride in tailoring our activities to suit the individual needs of each group that visits us. We are able to accommodate and target our activities to cover stages of the National Curriculum from KS1 - KS4 and tie in with various subject areas including history, art, design and technology, science and maths.
Why book Butser Ancient Farm for School Trips and Educational Visits?
From the moment you arrive the experienced Butser Ancient Farm education team organise the smooth running of the day for all school visitors. All trips begin with an introductory talk and discussion around a real fire in one of the ancient houses. Our school visitors then move through their planned activities, all conducted in one of our buildings or in a superb open-air setting. The Butser education team provide hands-on instruction for each activity as well as a discussion of archaeological evidence, historical detail and fascinating anecdotes to reinforce learning... and fun! There is ample time for discussion with students and staff and each activity stimulates a lively, fun discourse in which everybody is encouraged to participate.
At the end of a Butser day our visiting schools leave a little dirtier, highly stimulated, much more knowledgeable about and engaged with their subject, and on time.
Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?
Farm
Butser is a working farm with rare breed animals including sheep, goats and pigs. We also grow ancient crops.
Prehistory
From the Stone Age to Iron Age Butser Ancient Farm offers a choice of activities to teach children about life in the past. Our reconstructed buildings from the Stone Age and Iron Age give children an authentic experience of life in the past with Stone Age houses and Iron Age roundhouses.
Celts
From the Celtic Iron Age Butser Ancient Farm offers a choice of activities to teach children about life in the past. Our reconstructed buildings from the Iron Age give children an authentic experience of life in the past with Round Houses, Iron Age toilets, and a weaving house.
Romans
From Roman Britain, Butser Ancient Farm offers a choice of activities to teach children about life in the past. Our reconstructed Roman villa gives children an authentic experience of life in the past, with a working hypocaust, Roman toilets, and a recently-completed Roman mosaic.
Saxons
From Saxon Britain, Butser Ancient Farm offers a choice of activities to teach children about life in the past. Our reconstructed Saxon house gives children an authentic experience of life in the past, with a traditionally-built oak-framed building, a treasure hide, and smoked meats hanging under the thatch.
Vikings
Butser Ancient Farm offers a choice of activities to teach children about life in Viking Britain. You can choose from activities that include learning about Viking runes, spinning wool, making jewellery and excavating Viking archaeology.
What activities are available during group visits?
We have a Stone Age area and an Iron Age village at Butser Ancient Farm. There is a Roman villa and a Saxon house. All our structures are based on documented evidence from archaeological excavations.
Students visiting the farm for a whole day will take part in at least 4 hands-on activities chosen in advance from an extensive list. Activities are led by experienced Butser education staff and are designed to be specially relevant to the period studies. Our activities include Pottery, Wattle Fence Making, Jewellery, Clunching, Spinning, Cordage, Flint Wall Building, Mosaics and Roman Mathematics, Chalk Carving, Anglo-Saxon or Viking Rune Carving or Sewing, Chalk Carving and Archaeology.
What size groups do you cater for?
Minimum charge is for 20 children, however smaller groups are welcome at this price. We can accommodate very large groups, please contact us to discuss your needs.
Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?
Our houses are our classrooms and visitors will have a chance to sit around a real fire and learn about life in Britain while they experience these authentic buildings.
Is there first aid on site?
Yes
Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?
Yes
Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Yes
Reviews from Schools visiting Butser Ancient Farm!
Special rates for schools
outside of peak season
Prices from £32 per child, adults free
Overnight stay in an Iron Age roundhouse from December to February.
For an unforgettable learning experience, bring your class for an overnight winter stay at Butser Ancient Farm and sleep in an Iron Age Roundhouse. To really experience life in the past with no electricity, screens, phones (you’ll turn them off, won’t you?), no fast food, or even a bed. Instead you’ll walk under the stars, spend an evening around a fire, hear the wind in the thatch, and know what it feels like to live in the Iron Age.
We offer a range of hands-on activites, a storyteller for an evening around the fire, and an overnight stay in an Iron Age roundhouse.
Online Resources for School Groups
Educational Resources Available..
Here's a link to our schools mosaic information and activity site: https://butserromanmosaic.wordpress.com/
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