When you picture an English castle, what springs to mind? Perhaps it’s the towering turrets or the lives of the kings and queens who lived there. Maybe you think of the jousting tournaments or the sprawling feasts.
But Lynsey McLaughlin says picturing castles in this way does them an injustice. She’s doing a PhD at the University of Lincoln specifically on the public presentation of castles, and is a property curator for the National Trust. She says there is much more to be explored - especially on a school trip.
“Castles don’t just reflect a single moment in time but lots of different moments in history,” she says.
She highlights Richmond Castle, in North Yorkshire, where people of all ages can engage with learning about the Norman Conquest and the consequent shift in British society and culture, as well as learning about the Tudors and the conscientious objectors who stayed there during the First World War.
“It’s easy to assume that you’ll learn about knights and princesses and those really traditional approaches, but there’s a much broader history to them. Castles make great locations for school trips of all ages,” says McLaughlin.
School visits to castles benefit all subjects
Castles can certainly bring history to life for students - but, equally, other subjects can shine on these trips, too, says McLaughlin.
“There’s a huge opportunity for maths - if you can work out the architectural features, and scale of the builds, you can get into a really complex level of detail,” she says.
“Castles can help you think about your place in society; you can have discussions around status and people’s roles in the hierarchy of society as well. I’d really encourage school groups to think outside of the box and be really creative.”
Many castles showcase clothing that was worn in different periods and the various styles of furniture - which are great for art and design students, McLaughlin explains. Others have sprawling kitchens, and tour guides who can talk groups through the different food and drink that was consumed, which could fit into food technology and design and technology.
Teaching about tourism
Sarah-Jane Harknett is an outreach organiser at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge, and an expert in making sure that learning at historical sites has a real impact on students.
She says that teachers, especially those in secondary school and sixth-forms, should consider castles as tourist venues.
“Secondary tourism students can gain so much from visits: they can explore how the place operates, what the health and safety considerations are, how they look after thousands of visitors who come every day,” she says. “They can be great options for work experience, too.”
Longer-term learning
So how can teachers make sure that these trips are valuable beyond the day itself? And that they translate into work within the classroom?
Harknett says that teachers can approach this in three ways, depending on where they are fitting the trip into their programme of work.
“Teachers could come right at the beginning, and frame it as an entry-level trip which then informs all the teaching after it. This can really help those who struggle with classroom learning, as they experience that ‘wow’ factor, which can spur them on in the rest of the topic,” she explains.
“The visit could come halfway through a scheme of work, when students have got some knowledge they can apply. Or it can come at the end of the topic, to help students consolidate all of that learning.”
There are benefits to all three approaches, and teachers will need to consider the timetable of the castle they want to visit.
What are some of the other things that teachers need to consider when planning a castle trip, then?
1. Speak to the experts at the castle
To ensure that students get the most out of the trips, teachers should have a clear idea of the purpose, Harknett says. Taking the time to speak to education teams at the sites about what they can offer is key.
“The most interesting sessions that I teach are the ones where someone has come to me beforehand and asked for something a little bit different,” she says. “There will always be people who want to help you, and who are keen for you to come and visit. So those conversations beforehand can be really valuable in ensuring everyone is on the same page in terms of delivery for the children.”
2. Think outside of the box
When considering which castle to visit, think about what it can offer you beyond audio tours, says McLaughlin.
“Re-enactments, which are really popular, and being able to go to a site and actually see people in the costumes and with all the equipment can be an incredible experience for students,” she says. “Re-enactors have such a breadth of knowledge about the period - they’re so informed - and having detailed conversations with them can really heighten students’ feel of the place and the period.”
The English Heritage school pages allow you to find a wide variety workshops for your students, from how to be a jester to archery, storytelling, squire training and lessons in courtly etiquette, for example.
3. Don’t forget about the outside space
As well as thinking about what you can gain from the building itself, teachers should also consider what can be gained from the castle grounds, says McLaughlin.
“Often castles are in big, open spaces, where there’s loads of room for children to run around and take part in imaginative play, or sit in groups reflecting and discussing what they’ve experienced,” she adds.
4. And don’t show up without a booking…
No matter what, don’t visit without making a booking in advance, says Harknett.
“If you do, there are people that are there to help you. But having a booking just makes everything much easier,” she says. “And make sure you’re in the right place; castles have similar names to other places, and you don’t want to turn up at the castle pub. Doing a pre-visit beforehand can really help with those sorts of logistical things.”
