The Ancient Technology Centre in Cranborne is excited to announce its next major project.  After three years of constructing our award winning Viking Longhouse, and installing our internationally important Roman Water Lifting Machine, the time has come to dismantle and rebuild our most iconic house.

The roundhouse was built by Jake Keen and school children 26 years ago and has been visited by many thousands of visitors during its life.  The roundhouse is a firm favourite with visitors and children alike and has performed well as an ancient building.  

This year, the hazel and ash frame has finally become unstable and rotten due to extensive woodworm infestation and the decision has been taken to dismantle the structure before it falls down!  Some of the water reed thatch will be salvaged to be used for other smaller structures on site, while the dried clay and cow dung daub will also be recycled and used again.

The building will be reconstructed from October onwards in the same style and using the same archaeological evidence.  The aim will be to thatch the roof in spring 2012 and re-launch the building in the summer of that year.  We are intending to keep the structure and the external appearance identical to the current building, but years of teaching and living experiments within the roundhouse have highlighted several changes we would like to make inside.  The new roundhouse will have a blood and earth floor, slightly higher walls and a continuous high level sleeping platform around the walls to free up floor space for living.