'Arson' destroys Iron Age roundhouse replica

A replica of an Iron Age thatched roundhouse has been destroyed by fire in a suspected arson attack.

Fire crews were called to Flag Fen Archaeology Park in Peterborough, at 21:43 BST on Sunday after local people saw flames.

According to the park, the blaze "towered 20 metres above the surrounding woodland and the swift action of the fire brigade ensured the rest of the ancient archaeological site didn't catch fire, which would have resulted in the loss of priceless Bronze Age artefacts".

Cambridgeshire Fire Service said: "The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate."

Flag Fen is an important historical landscape which dates from the Bronze Age and it is the site of many archaeological finds.

The site had two replica roundhouses – one representing the Bronze Age (2,500 BC - 800 BC) and the other representing the Iron Age (800 BC - AD50).

Flag Fen was planning to construct a third.

The roundhouse that has been set on fire was built in 2022 with donations from the Arts Council England, the Francis and Maisie Pryor Charitable Trust and Tyrrell Builders.

It was based on an Iron Age roundhouse discovered at Cats Water, next to Flag Fen, and featured log seating and a fire pit which aimed to replicate how our ancestors lived.

The educational resource allows people to immerse themselves in history and has about 10,000 children visit each year, the park said.

A Flag Fen spokeswoman said: "The fire was started by vandals. It was either a prank that got out of control or a deliberate arson attack, with flames causing the thatched roof to catch fire, followed by the rafters and perlins, daub wall and oak doorframe.

"All that partially remains are the charred wattle walls."

Francis Pryor, who led the original excavations at Flag Fen in 1982, said: "This is a devastating loss to Flag Fen.

"The roundhouse is an important learning resource for young and old, providing a valuable insight into Iron Age life.

"Our primary concern now is to rebuild the roundhouse so that visitors can benefit from this important and unique asset and we experience as little disruption as possible for our educational programme."

The park said it would remain open over the summer and fundraising had started for the £50,000 required for a replacement roundhouse.

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