Y5 Visit to Speke Hall

In Year 5, the children learn about 'The Tudors' in their History lessons. The most exciting part of this topic is the visit to Speke Hall. On the estate is a large timber-framed manor house that dates back to 1530.

During the morning, the children were given a guided tour of the Hall. They learned about how the House was built and the Family that built it. The children were fascinated by the Great Hall and intrigued by the 'Priest Holes' - small spaces behind the walls built to protect the clergy from persecution.

After touring the house and grounds, the children were given the opportunity to examine a range of replica Tudor artefacts. One boy and one girl from each class were also chosen as Tudor 'fashion models' and dressed up in Tudor style costumes. Similar clothes would have been worn by the boys and girls who lived at Speke Hall during Tudor times.

In the education room, the children learned about life at Speke Hall during Tudor times. They discovered how herbs and spices were used for health and hygiene purposes. As an example, they were given the opportunity to make a 'pomander' - a decorative scented ball made from fruit and spices.

Each child had a small orange and decorated it with cloves, before adding a ribbon. In Tudor times, pomanders were used as air fresheners and hung amongst clothes to act as moth repellants.

Each of the classes enjoyed their visit and all of the activities, although it seems that the excitement took its toll on some!

Here is a selection of photographs from each of our class visits.

Click a picture to enlarge it in a new window.

Speke Hall is owned and maintained by the National Trust. To learn more,

Visit the National Trust website.