HORRIBLE HISTORY AT HOOKE COURT
Last week Year 3 and 4 made the exciting trip to Hooke Court in Dorset, for a three day trip to experience Tudor life.
Hooke Court is an old Tudor hunting residence that was owned by the Paulette family who were courtiers in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Whilst there we would experience Tudor life as both rich and poor people. The first task when we arrived was for everyone to make their own beds. This involved putting duvets into covers and caused much hilarity. Luckily all beds were made and all pupils were accounted for! This was probably the most difficult task of the whole three days.
We then discovered what life was like in a strict Tudor schoolroom. Craft skills were there for girls or for those too poor to go to school. In the evening we solved a murder mystery in the dark with torches. A murder happened in the house in the late 1500s, sadly we did not spot any ghosts on this occasion.
We continued through the next two days with enthusiasm and excitement. We tried our hand at lots of activities based around the Tudor period such as cooking, playing games, dancing, candle making and making model sailing ships. The highlight for me however was the Tudor Banquet that happened on the final night. Some of the children were servants and the rest were guests. The teachers were nobility and had to be treated as such! A great time was had by all and it wasn’t just historical skills that were learned, the children and teachers learned much about themselves and each other as well.
Sian Williams, Head of Prep History