Historic British building used to teach children about the 'world of our ancestors' burned down by vandals

Four fire engines rushed to tackle the blaze, which saw flames tower 20 metres above the surrounding woodland.

The thatched roof caught fire first, followed by the rafters, daub walls and oak doorframe.

Fire crews prevented the flames from spreading to other parts of the ancient archaeological site, which could have resulted in the loss of irreplaceable Bronze Age artefacts.

Only the charred wattle walls partially remain of the educational structure.

The roundhouse, constructed in 2022 with funding from Arts Council England, The Francis and Maisie Pryor Charitable Trust and Tyrrell Builders, was modelled on an actual Iron Age dwelling discovered at nearby Cats Water.

The structure replicated how ancient Britons lived approximately 2,500 years ago.

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The building served as a crucial educational resource for Flag Fen's schools programme, which teaches 10,000 children annually about "the world of our ancestors".

Visitors could experience first-hand how their ancestors lived during the Iron Age period.

Police are investigating whether the fire was a prank gone wrong or a deliberate arson attack.

The site remains open to visitors and summer activities continue as planned despite the destruction.

Francis Pryor MBE, who led the original excavations at Flag Fen in 1982, said: "This is a devastating loss to Flag Fen, the roundhouse is an important learning resource for young and old, providing a valuable insight into Iron Age life.

"Our primary concern now is to re-build the roundhouse so that visitors can benefit from this important and unique asset and we experience as little disruption as possible for our educational programme."

The roundhouse had become a vital part of the visitor experience at Flag Fen.

It allowed people of all ages to step back in time and understand how communities lived in prehistoric Britain.

Flag Fen has launched an emergency appeal to raise £50,000 to rebuild the destroyed roundhouse.

The site's management is seeking support from local businesses for timber, thatch, scaffolding and labour, alongside volunteers to assist with construction.

General Manager Jacqui Mooney said: "We are desperate now for support from local businesses who may be able to help us with timber, materials, thatch, scaffold and labour along with volunteers to help support the build and of course financial support to get the project underway."

She added: "Many children and adults have happy memories of a trip to Flag Fen, if people can manage a donation, no matter the amount, it will be amazing and really help us to continue the magic here for future generations."