The new Iron Age Roundhouse opens at Avalon Archaeology in March

New Iron Age Roundhouse replica to open at Somerset Levels archaeology centre

Paul JonesFebruary 18, 20260 Comment0

A RECREATION of housing on the Somerset Levels some 2,500 years ago is set to be officially opened next month.

On March 21, Avalon Archaeology, at Westhay, near Glastonbury, will unveil its new Iron Age Roundhouse – a replica reconstruction 12 months in the making.

The day will give visitors the chance to check out the new building – complete with authentic bread oven – as well as learning more about Somerset’s prehistory through a range of themed activities.

The new building, constructed by venue volunteers alongside experimental archaeologists from the South West Heritage Trust (SWHT), is based on evidence from the Glastonbury Lake Village, where Iron Age communities built homes and canoes to thrive in the flooded environment of the Somerset Levels.

Members of the public also contributed to the interior decoration, through a prehistoric painting workshop.

Glastonbury Lake Village was occupied for about 150 years at the end of the Iron Age, with a maximum of 20 houses at any one time, only accessible by water.

An authentic bread oven is part of the new Iron Age Roundhouse building at Avalon Archaeology

Built on wet peat, the waterlogged conditions has resulted in some remarkable preservation of wooden structures and objects that do not normally survive, making it the most well-preserved Iron Age settlement in the UK.

Dr Richard Brunning, an SWHT archaeologist, said: “The roundhouse is built with very small roundwood and relies on its woven structure to give it strength, rather like a large upturned basket.

“The walls are covered in daub, a mixture of clay subsoil, hay and a little horse poo. It is thatched with reed and has a clay floor, central hearth and small bread oven.

“The walls are decorated with impressions of ammonite shells and painted with natural earth colours using milk curds as a binding agent. The patterns are taken from pottery designs from Glastonbury Lake Village.”

Across the weekend of March 21 and 22, visitors can enjoy themed activities exploring prehistoric Somerset, including the chance to recreate part of the Sweet Track using Neolithic tools.

Children will also have the opportunity to dress up in Iron Age costume, with ancient woodwork demonstrations taking place alongside a reconstruction of a dugout canoe.

The structure of the Iron Age Roundhouse at Avalon Archaeology is described as an ‘upside down basket’

Dr Brunning added: “This new structure helps bring to life how ancient communities built, travelled, and lived within the landscape of the Levels.

“We hope visitors gain a vivid sense of early society through the reconstructed domestic architecture, alongside the seasonal rituals and traditional crafts on offer.”

Avalon Archaeology is open every Sunday between 10am and 4pm, and on Saturdays during the school holidays. For more information, visit avalonarchaeology.org.uk.