Brodsworth Hall
Doncaster - DN5 7XJ
Bookings: 01904 601917
One of England’s most unaltered Victorian country houses and restored gardens.
Sandford Award winner (2007) in recognition of the quality education offered at the site.
“The Brodsworth Discovery Visits afford students a real opportunity to experience what life was like in a Victorian country home for the family and their domestic staff. The students develop historical enquiry skills in an active way. ” (Sandford Award judge).
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Garden detectives
Key Stage: 1,2 History, Science, Geography, Art, Literacy
What can gardens tell us about the past? Find out in this interactive, cross-curricular session designed to help develop historical enquiry and problem-solving skills. Explore the beautiful gardens as a piece of historical evidence by examining the design, plants and evidence left behind. Experience Victorian and Edwardian garden pastimes and discover plants from around the world and explore how their use has changed over time. Have fun using all the senses and collecting information to help learn about the lives of both rich and poor people in the past. Students will be encouraged to respond creatively to the gardens, through descriptive language and nature-inspired art.
When: By arrangement Tuesday-Friday from 1 April 2009
Duration: 1¼ hours
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Meet the butler
Key Stage: 2, History
Through exploring the servants' quarters, kitchen and bedrooms of this Victorian house, role-play and object handling, experience life in service and compare it with other Victorian occupations. Meet David Chuck, butler at Brodsworth Hall in the 1870s, and attend an interview for the position of housemaid and footman. What responsibilities did the servants have? What were the needs of the family? Mr Chuck will explain aspects of his daily life and students will be able to try some of his jobs. An activity session using objects in the education room also provides the opportunity to engage with the lives of those who worked at Brodsworth Hall.
When: By arrangement Tuesday–Friday from 1 April 2009
Duration: 1½ hours
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Victorian life
Key Stage: 1,2 History
Dress up, handle replica objects and examine photographs and documents to discover what life was like above and below stairs in Brodsworth Hall in the 1870s. Half the visit is spent exploring this home of the Thellusson family and their servants and the other half working in teams as “history detectives” investigating and gathering evidence on the life of the family in the education room. Adopt one of four characters from the past - Georgiana the lady of the house, Augustus her son, Sarah the housemaid, or David the butler - and replicate scenes from the past through ‘freeze frame” activities. Contrasts are drawn between the lives of rich and poor, men and women, adults and children and students can draw their own conclusions and identify questions about this period of time.
When: By arrangement Tuesday–Friday from 1 April 2009
Duration: 1½ hours
