Year 6 Visits Castle Rising

Year 6 travelled to Norfolk under louring skies to visit the 12th century Castle Rising Castle. Once the residence of Isabella (the “She-Wolf of France”), the widow of Edward II, in whose death she had quite an involvement, the castle is now in a state of some disrepair but still retains many of the features we have been studying in class.

We looked around the gatehouse and then the forebuilding, examining the carvings and the original Norman arches. Inside we saw a murder hole in the roof, some arrow loops and the impressive vestibule. The remains of the Great Hall, sans floor(!), looked spacious and the adjoining kitchens still had evidence of cooking and roasting. In the basement we tried to work out the depth of the well and then we made a circuit of the castle on top of the surrounding earthworks. 

The pupils worked well on the questions in their booklets and were a credit to the school. We were very fortunate to avoid the rain and also lucky to come across Greville Howard himself, Baron Howard of Rising who owns the castle, as he was trying out his new remote controlled mower on the grounds! 

Mr Jeffery, Head of History and Geography