The Peat Moors Centre is the only place in Somerset that successfully combines environmental education with the history of the Somerset Levels. It is located in the heart of the Avalon Marshes, just 6 miles from Glastonbury, next door to Natural England's Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve and within easy reach of three additional reserves. This makes it ideally placed for the exploration and study of this unique area. School visits provide an opportunity to experience at first hand the relevance of our heritage in today’s hi-tech world.

A visit to the centre can combine two of the following topics with an extended Iron Age session if you spend the whole day…

The Iron Age

Experience the atmosphere of an Iron Age roundhouse by sitting around the fire and discover the practicalities of domestic life without electricity or supermarkets! Both roundhouses are constructed and furnished with evidence from the Glastonbury Lake Village.

The lake villages had declined by the time the Romans arrived, but we emphasise the extent to which life in Celtic Britain was influenced by Roman rule and settlement, for KS2 History.

Get your hands dirty! Have a go at wattling, daubing and making pottery - guaranteed to be the highlight of your trip! We can also accommodate requests for other activities, including baking, rushlights, woodwork, natural dyeing, storytelling, etc, etc, - just ask!

Archaeology

Take part in our trial excavation - you never know what might be unearthed! Discover the principles behind archaeology at first hand.

See reconstructions of the ancient trackways that traversed the Levels, including the Sweet Track, the oldest known trackway in Europe, built 3,807/6 BC.

Find out what Peat is, how it was formed and why it is a limited resource.

Environmental Activities

(each of these activities counts as one topic)

Come on a 'bug safari' armed with one of our 'pooters' to hunt for mini-beasts.

Why not try something a bit different? Learn to ‘walk lightly’ on an experiential activity trail – dare you meet a tree blindfolded or create a sound-map? Give it a try, you won’t regret it!

Visits to the Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall Nature Reserves can sometimes be arranged with RSPB educational staff-call for details

Teachers Packs

An extensive and readily usable teachers pack, available from the Centre for just £10, has been prepared to cover all aspects of life in the lake villages for the preparation of your visit.

Your Visit

The Centre prides itself on its ability to cover any aspect of the National Curriculum and will tailor a visit to your requirements.

School visits are available Monday to Friday between April and the end of October for a morning (10am – 12pm) or afternoon session (12.30pm – 2.30pm). These sessions are flexible depending on your arrival and departure times. You may book your party in for the whole day, but please note that we are only able to supervise ONE class and deliver ONE topic at a time. Equally, as the centre is fairly small, we kindly ask you to limit your party to one coach per session.

The cost of a visit is £4.50 per child, per session. If you book for the whole day however, the cost is now £5.50 per child. No charge is made for teachers and we do ask that any parents that accompany the group come prepared to get their hands dirty…

Teachers are encouraged to arrange a free pre-visit to talk to the wardens about their requirements for the session.

If you wish, children coming to study the Iron Age are very welcome to come in costume. The wardens can provide detailed information if desired.

On the day

Children should wear old clothes that can get dirty, strong shoes and, if possible, wellington boots as well.

There are picnic benches on site or, if it is raining, children may eat their packed lunches in a roundhouse, as long as there is a supervising teacher present.

The toilets are bound to provoke comment! They are chemical toilets, so be prepared!

We can provide £1 and £2 'goody bags' if required, to cut out wasting valuable time in the shop. A list of likely contents is available, but they usually contain branded pensils, rubbesr etc. Please book this in advance if desired.

How to book

Telephone the Centre on 01458 860697, to find out dates of available sessions.
Make a provisional booking by telephone.
Confirm the booking by returning a booking form [ 30.0k] within two weeks of your provisional booking.

Who are the staff?

Centre Warden Eddie Wills began collecting woodlice in match boxes at the age of two and moved onto flint implements by the age of five. His interest in wildlife led him to a career in conservation, but Eddie’s passion for Iron Age culture grew out of a college placement at a Cambridgeshire hillfort, to cover all aspects of the Celtic way of life from Prehistoric farming practices and craft skills to mythology and beliefs. He has over twenty years experience as an environmental educator and never tires of sharing his enthusiasm with young people. Eddix, his Iron Age persona, is village head-man and a "pathfinder" from the southern Durotriges tribe…

Eddie may be joined from time to time by voluntary helpers and experienced crafts people.