Viking Festival returns to Peterborough's Flag Fen after three years away

The return of the Viking Festival on Saturday July 30 and Sunday July 31 for the first time since the pandemic is among the exciting summer programme taking place at Flag Fen this summer.

Staff are keen to prove that Flag Fen is not just about the Bronze Age – visitors can admire the impressive new Iron Age roundhouse that has just been built by a team of volunteers as well as helping to construct a Stone Age village.

On July 26 and 27, Flag Fen will host host the Must Farm Finds roadshow. Artefacts such as sickles, axes and spears from excavations at Must Farm will be on display with experts on hand to answer questions about prehistoric life.

As the Festival of Archaeology draws to a close, the Vikings will be taking over for an exciting weekend of archery displays and battle re-enactments! Join the crowds at Flag Fen on July 30 and 31 to explore King Cnut and the Battle of Assandun 1016 and meet Angles and Danes in the Living History encampment.

Jacqui Mooney, General Manager of Flag Fen, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing back the Viking Festival after all of the disruption of the last couple of years. People of all ages love to see the Vikings in action and this promises to be one of the highlights of our year!”

Normal Flag Fen entry prices apply for the Viking Festival and there’s no need to book.

On each day there will be a skirmish weapons display at 11.30am, a children’s battle at 1.30pm, archery display at 2.30pm and the main battle commencing at 3.30pm.

For families with pre-school or primary age children, this summer also sees the return of Flag Fen Fledglings sessions and Forest School. 3-5 year olds have the chance to get creative in the natural environment through weekly Fledglings sessions in August, while the Forest School is open for 6-12 year olds to take part in problem-solving nature activities.

Emma Parnell, Learning Co-ordinator for Flag Fen, explained: “These outdoor learning sessions really help children to develop positive relationships with the natural world and bring alive the magic of the woods.

"It’s so important to keep their imaginations active over the holidays and to spend time outdoors. Parents will enjoy it too!”

For intrepid young explorers and budding palaeontologists, visitors to Flag Fen in August can become a ‘Jurassic Explorer’ and uncover the sea creature that has reappeared in the Mere, before digging in our Jurassic pits to find fossils of creatures that lived 160 million years ago and learning about the marine reptiles that shared the earth with the dinosaurs.

For more information about Flag Fen and all of these events, visit www.flagfen.org.uk.