Flag Fen Archaeology Park announces rebuild of Iron Age roundhouse following devastating fire
Flag Fen Archaeology Park is moving forward with the rebuild of its Iron Age roundhouse, following the devastating fire on Sunday 13 July that destroyed the original replica roundhouse.
While the swift response from the Peterborough Fire Brigade prevented the fire from spreading to the wider Bronze Age site, safeguarding internationally significant archaeology and artefacts, the Iron Age roundhouse itself was almost completely destroyed.
Since the incident, Flag Fen has been overwhelmed by public generosity on their fundraising page, along with offers of volunteering support and even local business like Tyrel Surfacing who were amongst the first to reach out to Flag Fen. Substantial contributions have also come from organisations, and heritage partners, including financial support from Historic England and materials from The National Trust Wimpole Estate.
Whilst the new Iron Age roundhouse will take approximately 9 months to complete, countless volunteers and community groups, including the 5th
Peterborough Central Scouts Group, have stepped in to help accelerate completion of a new Bronze Age roundhouse that City College Peterborough students have helped to build this year. Their support will ensure that the part completed roundhouse will be ready for September when schools return and continue to experience and explore prehistory in the unique setting Flag Fen provides.
“We are deeply grateful and humbled by the huge amount of support from our community and partners,” Jacqueline Mooney, General Manager at Flag Fen. “This collective effort is helping us recover quickly, protect our heritage, and continue delivering our award-winning education programme.”
Flag Fen is delighted to announce the official launch of the roundhouse rebuild on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 August. This event will mark the first step in bringing back the structure, laying both the symbolic and practical foundations of the project.
Activities will include:
- Marking out the roundhouse footprint
- Coppicing willow and hazel for building materials
- Timber splitting for rafters and stakes
- Traditional wattling demonstrations
Visitors are encouraged to come along and immerse themselves in activities on this special day, they can enjoy talks by roundhouse expert David Freeman who will lead the project to rebuild the Iron Age roundhouse. These talks are a unique opportunity to hear from David at the start of the project. Titled “From Posthole to Roof – Reconstructing an Iron Age Roundhouse” the talks will take place at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience hand-on workshops, tool handling and wattle weaving.
The rebuild will not only restore a much-loved landmark but will also endorse Flag Fen’s commitment to heritage, education, and community engagement. If you still wish to volunteer to the project you can email flagfen@peterboroughlimited.co.uk