Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
celebrating 40 years in 2026!
Stoking the passion for experimental archaeology
The Ancient Technology Centre began in the 1980s as an idea from Jake Keen, teacher at Cranborne Middle School. He wanted to give his students an immersive experience of the past through hands-on skills of constructing a roundhouse. This became the site where our present-day Iron Age roundhouse sits at the top of our site.
It was Jake's enthusiasm as the first Centre Manager, his knowledge of archaeology and historic sites, and his drive to teach historic skills to his pupils that founded the core values of the Ancient Technology Centre.
Jake used a mixture of historic and heavy lifting machines where necessary to build our unique Earthouse, based on Iron Age archaeology from the Isle of Man. He brought the community together for our first replica buildings.
Our second Centre Manager builder was Luke Winter, who can currently be found leading the build of a Neolithic longhall at the Stonehenge visitor centre site.
Luke's knowledge of historic building techniques, archaeological sites and living history brought volunteers to build our Viking Longhall and other structures on site like the Roman forge.
Their legacy is the buildings still standing today, and your legacy as our community is how you have brought them to life.
We have thousands of visitors a year from schools, where we teach hands-on skills from the Stone Age to Viking Ages and deliver National Curriculum- outdoor education experiences that stay with the children for a lifetime.
Our site is open 3 weekends a year for our Prehistory, Dark Ages and Apple Weekends, celebrating the legacy of past both in our landscape and further afield. There's always lots to see, storytelling, combat, living history displays and have a go at historic skills as well.
Our site has been privately hired numerous times (hence we can't be open to public all the time) by film and TV companies, with recent appearances in Digging for Britain with Stuart Prior learning craft skills in a range of our buildings.
We are honoured to have been chosen for so many people's special day, and to be hired for hand-fastings and weddings.
Our partners the Crick Crack Club, Jaminaround and Earthkin Events have brought music, storytelling and celebration to our iconic Earthouse.
Our volunteers are a great community, bringing their skills and knowledge to the site and learning historic skills from coppicing to fence-building. Through their efforts we have created the site you see today, and it is their continued enthusiasm which keeps our site going.
Our tutors over the years have brought their archaeological and academic knowledge and experience to their role working with schools and developing all types of projects.
There are so many ways in which our community has supported us, participated, and literally built our site with their hands.
We sincerely thank you all.
If you would like to be involved in our 40th year events and activities see below.
how you can make an impact at the ancient technology centre
Come to an Open Day
Our Open Weekends this year are:
Prehistory Weekend 28th & 29th March 2026
Dark Ages weekend 26th & 27th July 2026
Apple Weekend 27th & 28th September 2026
10am to 4pm
Buy tickets at the Centre on the gate
Park in Cranborne Middle School car park
Buy your lunch from the BBQ
Tea, coffee and home made cakes,
No dogs please.
Share your story
Have you visited our site?
Did you explore the past on a school trip?
Did you spend your special wedding day on our site?
Click on the button below to go to a Forms page. Here you can write a few words about what your visit means to you.
We are creating a legacy wall to display at our Open Events with your stories.
We can't wait to read yours!
Family activity days
Corporate Philanthropy and supporting our cause
Corporate Philanthropy and supporting our cause
We are offering a few children's activity days during the school holidays.
These will be based on the activities school children participate in on school days.
Each day will run from 10am to 3pm approximately. Paid places for children, accompanying adults are free, with the expectation that adults are there to supervise their children at all times.
The focus will be on children having a go at activities, the adults are welcome to assist if they are allowed to!
Look at our Eventbrite for upcoming days. You can sign up on Eventbrite for alerts every time a new event goes on. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as there will be a post about each activity day as soon as it is for sale on Eventbrite.
All terms and conditions on the Eventbrite page.
Corporate Philanthropy and supporting our cause
Corporate Philanthropy and supporting our cause
Corporate Philanthropy and supporting our cause
The Ancient Technology Centre is desperate need of repair.
In our 40th year we are appealing to our community to help us, once again, by donating materials to continue the great work we do here our visitors people from all UK and further afield.
We will be emailing out to local businesses for match funding wood, thatch and other materials to repair our buildings while we still can.
These repairs are a fantastic opportunity to teach heritage craft skills and continue the legacy of education and experimental archaeology at the core of our values.
We are have unique offers and benefits to becoming one of our benefactors.
Get in touch to find out more:
In 2026 we're celebrating!
40 year of the Ancient Technology Centre
and we couldn't have done it without you!
Thousands of visiting school pupils, public open days, heritage craft experts, TV and film companies, our partner storytellers, solstice celebrations and musicians, experimental archaeologists from Universities and our wonderful volunteers, some of whom have seen all our buildings from the start.
We would love to hear your experiences of being at the Ancient Technology Centre, click below to find out more.