Schools

Help your class explore the history of Pendennis, from Tudor times to today, with one of our many ways to learn.

"Thank you for a stimulating and brilliant workshop and visit. Will come back again!"

KS1 Teacher
on our Now and Then Discovery Visit

Curriculum links

KS1-3 History: Local History Study
KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality
KS2 History: Study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
KS3 History: Development of Church, state and society in Britain 1066-1509 and 1509-1745, ideas, political power, industry and empire in Britain 1745-1901, and challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day
GCSE History: Study of the historic environment

Free Self-led Visits

One of the finest of the mighty fortresses built by Henry VIII to defend the country against invasion, Pendennis Castle remains one of Cornwall's greatest fortresses. With over 400 years of defending Britain's coasts, and a range of ways to learn on-site, we've got everything you need to help you cover a wide range of cross-curricular topics.

The Cornwall Heritage Trust offer funding for school transport to eligible schools. Find out more and fill out an application form to see if you can cover the costs of transport on your trip to Pendennis.

Enquire now

Expert-led Discovery Visits

Bring Pendennis Castle to life and let us lead a Discovery Visit for you. Our sessions have been adapted to follow health and safety guidelines and will still offer your students a quality and fun learning experience.

FIND OUT MORE

Plan Your Visit

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. You can find all our site-specific information and tools below, and for Covid-19 risk assessments and measures we’ve got in place please visit our what to expect page.

Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip. We also offer free planning visits for group leaders once you have made a booking. Visit our bookings page to start planning your trip!

Facilities
PENDENNIS CASTLE: The castle buildings and grounds are open for you to enjoy while keeping to social distancing rules; including the Keep, the gun shed and battery observation post and the Half Moon Battery.

PARKING: Car and coach parking is a short 5 minute walk. Disabled visitors can drop off close to the castle entrance.

EDUCATION ROOM: The bookable education room is available.

TOILETS: Male and female toilets are located at the rear of the shop and on the first floor of the Royal Artillery Barrack Block.

LUNCH: There are picnic areas outdoors. Please book the education room for wet weather lunches. Group leaders are welcome to use the café, which will be open for drinks and light refreshments.

SHOP: The shop is open selling English Heritage gifts and souvenirs. Please bring your class in small groups at a time.

ACCESSIBILITY: Please also note that much of the site has uneven surfaces. Some areas of the castle are accessed via steps and stairs.

Hazard Information
A useful tool to help with your risk assessments.

Pendennis Castle Hazard Information.pdf (58.5 KB)

Discovery Visits
Our Discovery Visit Guide provides you with everything you need to know about our expert-led sessions at Pendennis Castle. It includes a breakdown of the learning objectives and details on how to prepare for the sessions.

Pendennis Castle Discovery Visit Guide (KS1-KS3).pdf (584 KB)

Risk Assessments
Our ready-made Discovery Visit Risk Assessments take the hassle out of planning.

Enemies on the Horizon Risk Assessment.pdf (55.2 KB)

Now and Then Risk Assessment.pdf (55.3 KB)

Learning Resources
A Teachers' Kit is a free educational tool packed with everything you need to give your group a deep insight into the place you are visiting. Featuring historical information, suggestions for activities, and high-quality images, this resource is a comprehensive toolkit for group leaders of various subjects and key stages. Teachers’ Kits also include key site information, facilities and plans.

Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle Teachers' Kit (KS1-KS4+).pdf (11 MB)

Education Site Opening Times
We offer free self-led education visits during school term time^*. From November until March we open exclusively for education groups at selected sites when booking an expert-led Discovery Visit. See our education opening times below for individual site information.

^*Free education visits are not offered on UK public holidays or during the operation of additional fee paying public events at English Heritage sites.

April-June: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday

July-August: Monday-Sunday 10-6pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday

September-October: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday

November: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Tuesday and Thursday

1 December-23 December: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm

26 December-1 January: Monday-Sunday 10-4pm

2 January-31 January: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm

1 February-10 February: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Wednesday-Friday

11 February-19 February: Monday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Wednesday-Friday

20 February-28 February: Wednesday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Wednesday-Friday

1 March-31 March: Wednesday-Sunday 10-4pm

Enquire now

0370 333 0606

bookeducation@english-heritage.org.uk

Book online
Visit our bookings page to start your enquiry. All bookings must be made at least 14 days in advance. Please make sure you check our terms and conditions ahead of your visit.

If you’d like more information about a site or one of our workshops, get in touch using the online form on our bookings page to speak to your local Education Visits Officer. We look forward to seeing you soon.