A FIELD TRIP TO BUTSER ANCIENT FARM

THREE NEW CONSTRUCTIONS ON VIEW

Saturday 11th June 2022

First founded by Peter Reynolds in 1972 as the Butser Ancient Farm project, and familiar to many EMAS members who worked there for years, this is a unique place to see several forms of experimental archaeology at their best. The team specialise in activities and techniques practised in the past, extending back to the Neolithic.

A recent major project came about following a period of extreme weather in 2019, when one of the central Neolithic structures became extremely unstable. This provided an unexpected opportunity to rethink what would replace it. And the plan for the reconstructed Horton House came about (see article in Current Archaeology Issue 377 August 2021 pp 38-45). Also, the Dunch Hill roundhouse was constructed in 2021 by the Operation Nightingale team (Current Archaeology Issue 383 February 2022 pp28-35). And most recently a reconstruction of Chilton A1, Anglo-Saxon Hall house (Current Archaeology Issue 387 June 2022 p.19).

Many of us will have visited Butser in the past, but with the new Horton House and Dunch Hill roundhouse re-constructions and other developments in recent years, this being the 50th Anniversary Year of Butser Ancient Farm, it is a good time to revisit.

The trip will be on Saturday 11th June, and will start at 08.30 in the coach bay area, at the east end of Tothill Street (opposite the main entrance of Westminster Abbey). On arrival, we will have tea and coffee. Then we will have a guided tour of the site for around 1 to 1.5 hours.

There is an on-site shop which sells light refreshments and hot and cold drinks. We will not be arranging a pub lunch, but you can bring your own picnic.

It won’t be a long day; we would probably leave Butser at some time between 3.00 – 4.00 p.m. at the latest.

The price of the trip will be £49.00 (£54.00 for non-members) including a guided tour.

Could you please let us know the number of places you would like on this Field Trip, and whether they are for members or non-members, by sending an email by May 28 to trips@emasarchaeology.org?

When we know that there are enough people interested to make the trip financially viable, we shall ask you to send your payment.

Christine Woodford
EMAS Field Trips Organiser