Win a Bronze Axe Head with Butser Plus!
We have a special announcement to share today! If you’ve been following us for a while, you may have heard of Butser Plus - our supporters’ platform that helped us survive the pandemic and create a library of videos about our archaeological experiments.
After four years in its original form, and with everyone slowly getting back to normal after lockdown, we are delighted to be reshaping and relaunching Butser Plus with a couple of exciting changes.
↓ Keep reading to find out more about the past and future of Butser Plus, how we plan to keep thriving - and how you could win this beautiful Bronze axe head!
The Birth of Butser Plus
Back in 2021, the farm was reeling from the effects of months of lockdown in the wake of the global pandemic. As a not-for-profit site, we were affected badly by the loss of visitors. If we had continued down the same path, it would have been impossible to stay viable, given that it cost £800-£1000 a day just to keep the farm running, maintain the buildings and feed the animals.
Fortunately, our team never give up. Together, we came up with the idea for a brand new online platform that could help counter the income loss and protect our future, while at the same time using modern, global techonology to provide a connection back to our ancient past for everyone else confined to their homes.
Hollie filming metallurgy for Butser Plus
The result was Butser Plus - an online platform that would allow users to enjoy professionally shot, behind-the-scenes video content about life at our unique heritage site. Supporters from around the globe were able to access exclusive content, and their donations helped safeguard the farm’s future as it recovered from the impact of the pandemic. The project was further aided by funding from the UK Government Culture Recovery Fund, recognising how online tools can be used to help people stay connected.
To create our video content, we are lucky to have onboard Hollie Osborn, a highly accomplished producer and director, and the face behind the camera capturing all our incredible video footage. Hollie has worked on a variety of shows including the Attenborough series Africa, BBC One’s Farmer’s Country Showdown, and Channel 5’s Funniest Pets at Christmas (so she has no problem handling our rare breed animals!). Hollie’s expertise and keen eyes are what has allowed us to bring the essence of Butser onto your screen and into your home, wherever that may be.
Prof Alice Roberts taking part in our Bronze Age build project, documented as a multi-part series for Butser Plus
The Future of Butser Plus
Five years on, and we are relieved to say that Butser made it through the worst impacts of the pandemic. But with one crisis over, another looms - in the shape of an ever-changing heritage industry. 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, and we pride ourselves on always thinking ahead to future-proof our 50-year-old, pioneering project.
The core Butser Plus team - Hollie (left) and Tiffany (right). You can find out more about them here!
Free Videos for Everyone!
With this in mind, we have made the decision to release our entire Butser Plus video library - free of charge - so it can be accessible to everyone! This means taking all 100+ videos out from behind the paywall and uploading them to YouTube over the next few months, as well as continuing to create and upload brand new monthly videos going forward. These videos are something we are incredibly proud of, and as a site dedicated to accessibility, education and broadening the knowledge of all, we are really pleased to be releasing these to a global audience - all for free. We wouldn’t be in a position to do this, of course, without all the people who have supported Butser Plus since it launched in 2021. We cannot thank you enough for all your contributions, which have not only funded our videos, but have kept the entire farm afloat in an incredibly unstable and troubling time.
On seeking feedback from our supporters, we found that a large chunk of Butser Plus members choose to support us out of generosity alone, regardless of other perks and benefits. Many people recognise the pressure put upon the heritage industry, and in the age of Patreon-style platforms, we have been humbled by how many of you are keen to support us with a monthly or annual donation - just because you love our work. In light of this, we are moving our Butser Plus platform over to our website so that everything is in one place, making it even easier and more convenient to support the farm with a regular donation. Pioneer and Hero supporters will still have early access to Beltain and Equinox tickets, and we’ve launched this brand new behind-the-scenes blog that will take you into the heart and soul of the farm. We will also be adding links to all the content in our Video Library so you can see everything in one place.
We are so excited for the future of Butser Plus, and we continue to be extremely grateful for every single person who chooses to support the farm through a monthly donation. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to keep producing such fantastic videos - and we can’t wait for even more people to see the collection, now we are releasing them for free.
How Can You Get Involved?
To support Butser Plus and help us future-proof our pioneering ancient farm:
Join Butser Plus and receive early access to Beltain & Equinox tickets, plus a monthly behind-the-scenes blog post exploring everything from building plans and archive photos to animal births, archaeological experiments and the rhythms of farm life in the beautiful South Downs.
Subscribe FREE to our YouTube channel and enjoy hundreds of videos about our archaeological experiments, rare breed animals and everyday life at the farm.
Win a Bronze Axe Head!
To celebrate the relaunch of Butser Plus, we are giving away this beautiful bronze axe head made by our resident archaeo-bronzesmith Jim Clift.
This piece is based on an early Bronze Age flanged axe, similar to those in the Arreton Down hoard, excavated on the Isle of Wight in the eighteenth century. In 2012, an English Heritage report even used laser scanning to discover dozens of these axe shapes carved into the stones at Stonehenge!
TO ENTER: Sign up to our Butser Plus platform at any tier between now and 28 February!
This can be a monthly or annual subscription, but must be placed before 23:59 (GMT) on 28 February 2026.
At the end of the month, we will choose one lucky winner at random and post their prize to them anywhere in the world.
See below for the full terms & conditions of this prize draw.
Bronze Axe Head Prize Draw - Terms & Conditions
Promoter
The prize draw is promoted by Butser Ancient Farm (“the Promoter”).Eligibility
The prize draw is open to individuals aged 18 or over. Employees of the Promoter and their immediate family members are excluded.How to Enter
To enter, participants must hold an active subscription to Butser Plus at any payment tier during the period 1–28 February 2026. Only one entry per person is permitted, regardless of subscription tier.Entry Period
Entries open on 28 January 2026 and close at 23:59 (UK time) on 28 February 2026.Prize
The prize is one bronze axe head, as pictured and described above. No cash alternative or substitution is available.Winner Selection
One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries on 1 March 2026.Winner Notification
The winner will be notified by email using the contact details associated with their Butser Plus account. If the winner does not respond within 14 days, the Promoter reserves the right to select an alternative winner.Delivery
The prize will be posted to the winner at no cost, to an address provided by the winner, anywhere in the world. The Promoter is not responsible for customs delays, import taxes, or duties.General
The Promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. By entering, participants agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.