A replica Iron Age roundhouse is to be built in Chester, England, to teach local people about how people lived over two thousand years ago. Cities all over the country hold fascinating Iron Age secrets – watch our Ancient World in London video below to learn about pre-Roman London.
The project, to be completed in August this year, will be housed in the grounds of Burwardsley Outdoor Education Centre, near Beeston Castle and Maiden Castle.
The sheme, commissioned by Habitats and Hillforts, is part of a three-year landscape partnership between Cheshire West and Cheshire Council (CWaC), Chester Renaissance and the Heritage Lottery Fund. A CWaC spokeman tells the Ellesmere Port Standard the project will help bring archaeology to life in the region: “This is just one project of many that the Habitats and Hillforts project is undertaking. Over a three-year period, Habitats and Hillforts aim to conserve and enhance the string of six important Iron Age hillforts along the sandstone ridge and their associated habitats.
“The involvement of local people in the project is key to its success and there will be lots of opportunities to get involved,” the spokesman adds. Iron Age forts and roundhouses are a common feature of the Cheshire landscape – indeed Britain’s Iron Age past is constantly being discovered across the country – even Bob Geldof’s back garden is being excavated for ancient treasures.
The Battersea Shield in the British Museum is one of the nation’s most famous Iron Age artefacts. Dredged from the River Thames in 1857, it offers a fascinating insight into London’s pre-Roman past. A replica of King Tut’s tomb is also being proposed, but what value do replica heritage sites and artefacts hold? , or via our discuss page.
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