Year 4 Explore Cornwall’s Tudor Heritage

4SC enjoyed a fantastic visit to Kresen Kernow yesterday as part of their learning about the Tudors in Cornwall.

The visit began with a tour of the strongroom, home to more than 1.5 million historical records. These include documents recording the births, marriages, deaths and baptisms of Cornish people, as well as extensive records from trading companies, including shipping and mining businesses. The children were particularly amazed by a huge historic ledger weighing an incredible 21kg. The ledger is so heavy that it takes two adults to lift it from the shelves.

With so many items to store, organisation is key. The class had the chance to turn a large handle to move the rolling shelving units, revealing another treasure trove of historic mining and land maps dating back to Tudor times.

The education team had also prepared a selection of original Tudor documents for the children to investigate. These included wills and inventories from Tudor men and women, as well as letters connected to both Elizabeth I and Henry VIII. One particularly exciting document concerned the re-siting of Kea Church and carried the signature of Henry VIII himself, giving the children the chance to see the handwriting of the famous king from more than 500 years ago.

Back in the education base, the pupils took part in a sorting activity, exploring the types of possessions different Tudor people might have listed in their inventories, which sparked plenty of discussion, especially about unusual items such as lutes and muskets. A highlight for many was writing their own inventories using a quill and ink, giving them a hands-on insight into how writing was done in Tudor times and helping them appreciate how few people were able to read and write during the period.

Many thanks to the fantastic education team at Kresen Kernow for bringing our Tudor topic to life; 4SC have not stopped talking about the visit since.