Cranborne Earth House - Cranborne Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne, Dorset, UK - Earth Homes on Waymarking.com

'Take a step back in time and experience the realities of daily life in the past. Learn ancient skills in an authentic landscape, from building ancient structures to blacksmithing and fire-making.

Our activities and buildings are based on archaeological evidence from a range of periods including the Neolithic, Iron Age (Celtic), Viking, Roman and Anglo Saxon eras. Children and adults who visit us perform tasks which are integral to the successful continuance of the centre.

Residential accommodation is available in our stunning Longhouse.'

The Earth House is the style of a Neolithic Round House. It is constructed mainly, along with the other buildings here, by school children and volunteers. Stepping back into the past involves living without carpets and central heating. It gives a valuable insight into our past. The building would have housed a whole village in 200AD.

In order to be sustainable the building materials are collected within a one mile radius of the site. This Earth House has a diameter of 20m and is half buried in the ground. It is topped with coppice and 80 tonnes of earth then supported with local oak and sweet chestnut.

Today this building is used as a theatre for story-telling and teaching.

The close-up photographs are credited to Simon Barnes and Anthony Brown from the Geograph website and used here under the Creative Commons Licence - visit link and here:

There is a view of the entrance to the Earth House on the BBC link visit link but as it is underground more is visible inside.

Our own photos are of the outside of the site showing the entrance and the signs.

Please describe your visit, and it would be great if you could post any photos that you have taken. Have fun!