New Year Reflections with Janus
When we opened our visitor centre in 2012, we named it the Janus Centre after the Roman god of gateways. Janus is usually depicted with two faces - one facing back to the past, and the other facing forwards to the future - which is why he made the perfect namesake for our new building. It is a building born from Butser’s past, drawing on decades of success to create something that will continue to carry us forward into the future. Not only has the building provided 13 years of office and retail space, toilet facilities and a visitor experience space, it was also designed to be fully accessible to all visitors, as well showcasing a range of sustainable technologies like our biomass wood-burning boiler, solar panels, and a reed-bed filtration system for the wastewater.
The Janus Centre in construction
Directors Simon and Maureen opening the Janus Centre with Time Team’s Phil Harding
Sustainability continues to be at the heart of everything we do. We live in a world where we are constantly encouraged to grow, grow, grow! But we do not believe success always has to be bigger, faster or stronger. The most reliable form of success is usually the most sustainable one. Yes - like all heritage sites, we have staff and overheads to pay, and we are always keen for our community of visitors to grow. But everything we do is carefully balanced between necessary forward motion and gratitude for everything we already have.
Detail of ‘Bust of the Roman God Janus’ (1569) © The New York Public Library
As we look forward to 2026, we are drawing on the Roman god Janus for inspiration - reflecting on our past as we plan for the future. We have lots of exciting plans for the next twelve months, but you are unlikely to see any great new megastructures sprouting up to expand our 10,000 year timeline. (Not this year, at least!) We love our big, bold projects, but this year we are looking forward to nurturing and maintaining our existing buildings, and giving the whole site a refresh, rather than a revamp.
The UK heritage sector is facing a significant and ongoing struggle, with some statistics pointing to an ‘existential threat’ driven by a combination of funding cuts, rising operational costs and post-pandemic challenges. As an independent, not-for-profit heritage site, we take our responsibility seriously to keep Butser thriving in the face of adversity. For us, this means focusing on ‘small but mighty’ ways to keep our site fresh, vibrant and inspiring, and we have lots of exciting plans for 2026 that will help us continue to make Butser the best place it can be - a sanctuary for those who find solace in the old ways, whether that’s sitting beside a roundhouse fire or learning to knap flints in the sunshine.
The turn of the year is always a great time for us to pause and reflect on the history of Butser Ancient Farm. Our Marketing & Design Coordinator Tiffany has recently been sifting through our archive of old photos and documents, many of which date back to the early seventies when the Butser project first began. She recently walked to the first site on Little Butser - a magical relic of the project located on a muddy little spur, jutting off the side of the hill.
A copy of The Observer from 1972 featuring one of our founding archaeologists, Dr Peter Reynolds
Tiffany at the muddy Little Butser site
It is amazing to imagine how they even accessed that site all year round, so to think of how far the project has come since 1972 is a wonderful reminder of how special and unique Butser Ancient Farm is. It was pioneering when it was first created, and it continues to thrive in a very changeable world. We are very proud of the farm’s past and hopeful for the future, and we’d like to thank all our visitors, staff and volunteers for their continued support.
We look forward to seeing you all again in 2026! In the meantime, here are a few highlights coming up this spring:
Spring Harp Concert with Keziah Thomas
Friday 10th April | 7pm - 9pm
Springtime is upon us. The birds celebrate her return with festive song. Hear The Lark, The Nightingale and the rustling of trees as award-winning harpist Keziah Thomas will perform a mesmerising concert in our Great Roundhouse to immerse you in the beauty of spring.
Time Traveller Holiday Camp
February Half Term & Easter Holidays
At our Time Traveller Holiday Club, your child will experience Butser like never before. They’ll spend each fun-filled day with us packed with exciting activities, from making their own clay pots, grinding wheat and baking bread, to trying out weapons, playing ancient games and getting to know the Butser goats — all in the beautiful setting of our ancient buildings in the Hampshire countryside!
Belt Weaving - Backstrap Loom Workshop
Sunday 22nd March | 10am - 1pm
Come and weave in an Iron Age roundhouse, using techniques which stretch back thousands of years. Join heritage educator Kat Wootton to learn about setting up a simple backstrap loom using a rigid heddle. Learn about warp threads and weft threads, what the shuttle does, and a little textiles history, while making a beautiful belt from natural fibres.