Learn Something New

Try something new, learn a traditional craft or skill in an atmospheric setting.

Immerse yourself in the ancient world and learn crafts and techniques that our ancestors used to make everything they needed. Butser Ancient Farm is a unique learning environment where you will be surrounded by 5,000 years of human history, working outside or within one of the unique reconstructed buildings at the farm. From metal working to flint knapping, nettle fibres to foraging the workshops will give you an unforgettable hands-on experience of the past.

	Getting around
Distance	5 miles south of Petersfield
Duration	Check the course or workshop dates and times online. Advance booking is recommended.
Grade	MODERATE
Directions – Bus	Stagecoach bus service 37 at Stop S on Lavant Street outside Petersfield railway station takes about 15 minutes to Clanfield. Get off at the Hampshire Hog Pub and walk carefully along Chalton Lane over the A3, following the signs for Butser Ancient Farm a half mile down the lane towards Chalton.
Directions – Cycle	Head straight from Petersfield railway station along Lavant Street and follow the signs for the National Cycle Network route 22. Half-way along ‘The Causeway’ out of Petersfield, the NCN 22 veers left, but continue straight to pick up the surfaced traffic-free pedestrian and cycle route NCN 222 that follows the A3. After you pass the Hampshire Hog, take the first exit at the roundabout, crossing over the A3. Take a left, following the signs for Butser Ancient farm, and cycle along Chalton Lane for a half mile until you reach the entrance.

Useful Information

The Butser Ancient Farm project began in 1972 as an experimental centre to test theories about how people lived in the Iron Age. Since then it has grown to encompass Stone Age, Roman and Saxon areas as well as being home to rare breed animals and ancient crops. It features regularly in films and documentaries as well as being an ongoing centre for archaeological research.

Extend Your Visit

Extend your visit and your knowledge and check out the courses at the The Sustainability Centre. These are led by expert tutors and based around sustainable skills and crafts, from blacksmithing to foraging, bushcraft to herbal medicine. As well as traditional rural skills, you can also learn the most up to date thinking on green living, permaculture or woodland management. The centre is located directly on the South Downs Way between Old Winchester Hill and Butser Hill.

Learn Something New