Prep Delve into Cornish Archives

As a part of their humanities studies of Tudor history, our Year 4 pupils enjoyed a morning at Kresen Kernow, the Cornish archive library in Redruth.

Located in a historical brewery building, the archives date from up to 800 years ago and include family records, legal documents, certificates, scrolls, photographs, books, and parchments relating to Cornwall’s history.

Our Truro School Prep pupils were excited to see the archive and get a close-up view of Tudor artifacts with historian and guide, Kerra. The group learnt that the two temperature-controlled strong rooms protect the valuable documents from weather and natural disasters.

Pupils were amazed to discover that the building holds 1.5 million items and over 14 miles of shelving; more than the distance from school to Redruth! The group were invited to touch and feel a replica of a Royal Seal, the original of which had created the seal on a Tudor document they were also able to view up close.

From the archives, the group headed to the library, where they read and searched for Cornish books on a range of subjects from mining to World War II. Library guide Kim explained the difference between primary and secondary sources before using interactive maps and resources to document the history of Kresen Kernow.

In groups, pupils then investigated links to Cornwall with the Tudor Royal family and completed some Tudor-themed activities that included making a scroll and using a quill and ink.

Thank you to Kerra and Kim from Kresen Kernow for such an enjoyable experience that helped bring our Year 4s’ learning to life.