Glastonbury's iconic Lake Village is in danger after this summer's heatwave caused water levels to plunge to a record low — threatening the survival of ancient wooden structures buried in peat.

Borehole monitoring at the Iron Age site shows the groundwater fell well below the level needed to protect its preserved timbers. The drop was lower than in the extreme dry summers of 2018 and 2022.

Experts now warn the site, one of the most important in Britain, could suffer irreversible damage if action isn't taken.

Dr Richard Brunning, a senior historic environment officer with the South West Heritage Trust, said: "The site will gradually be lost over time and only the deepest elements will survive."

He added: "We're going to get more extreme wetter winters and also more extreme dry summers, with more prolonged periods of drought — so we know over the coming decades the situation's going to get worse rather than better."

The monitoring is being carried out by the Axe Brue Drainage Board. Philip Brewin, an ecologist for the Somerset Drainage Board who has studied the site, said: "Over time we have drained the former marsh and it's now used for other purposes, which means that the water table can get quite low.

"If it gets low enough the timbers are exposed to oxygen, then they will start to rot and they'll be lost forever."

Dr Brunning added that it will be difficult to isolate the site for protection. "We know what's coming, but there's not an easy solution to that — there's only difficult ones."

advertisement

The Lake Village dates back to around 250 BC and once housed dozens of roundhouses on timber platforms. It remains a key archaeological site for understanding life in Iron Age Somerset.

More local stories:

• Glastonbury crackdown 'set to fail' as police admit fines won't work
• Former Street nursery could be turned into two homes under new plans

Sign up to our free local newsletter — Our top stories in your inbox every Friday.