The doors of Flag Fen's Preservation Hall - smashed in the attack. © Flag Fen
Staff at Flag Fen say they are determined to carry on with this Sunday's Archaeology Festival despite a recent spate of vandalism at the important Bronze Age archaeological site near Peterborough.
Vandals smashed through the main gates to the visitor centre’s car park on Thursday July 12 and returned on July 15 to wreak thousands of pounds worth of damage.
“First of all we had some people come in on the Thursday last week in the early hours of the morning going at great speeds around the car park in a car, smashing through the wooden gates,” said Sharon Shortland, Fundraising Officer at Flag Fen.
The vandals then returned three days later to wreak more damage: “On this Sunday they smashed through again and completely obliterated the gate,” she explained. “They then destroyed three picnic tables, the entrance to the reconstructed roundhouse, then went into the preservation hall where they smashed through the wooden and glass double doors.”
The vandals broke picnic tables at the site. © Flag Fen
“They then drove across our Roman herb garden which is tended by volunteers, which has taken about 10 years in the making.”
“We caught this on CCTV and we heard later that there was a burnt out car of the same sort found down the road within about half an hour of the incident.”
The damage came at a time when staff are gearing up for their Archaeology Festival, which is still due to go ahead on Sunday July 22 and will be opened by Dr Francis Pryor from TV’s Time Team. Volunteers have been hard at work to patch things up, said Sharon.
“Thanks to the work of some of our volunteers we have got new metal doors on the preservation hall and we have got a temporary arrangement for the front gates to the car park.”
A visitor centre was established at Flag Fen in 2002. Courtesy Toby Fox.
Much costly work remains to be done however, such as replacing the site’s traditional willow hurdle panels. The damage comes at a difficult time, with Flag Fen facing a budget deficit.
The site is one of our premier prehistoric visitor attractions and one of the few places where people can see an incredible survival of archaeological material including Bronze Age timbers.
It was discovered in 1982 by Francis Pryor, who unearthed a small piece of timber which turned out to be part of a massive Bronze Age causeway. Excavations at Flag Fen continue to yield material today.
Luckily, none of the site’s unique archaeology was damaged during the wrecking spree, with the vandals’ car stopping just outside the chamber where the ongoing excavations are progressing.
The vandals drove across the Roman herb garden which is tended by volunteers and has been 10 years in the making. © Flag Fen
Flag Fen’s Archaeology Festival, part of National Archaeology Week 2007, will be officially opened by Francis Pryor on Sunday at 11.30am. Visitors will be able to try their hand at experimental archaeology, excavate real Roman remains and learn all about crafts like flint knapping, spinning and weaving.
Family tickets cost £16.75, adults £6, children £4.75 and concessions £5.50. Doors open at 10am and activities continue until 4pm.
