STANDARD EDUCATIONAL VISIT

DESCRIPTION

A Standard Educational Visit (Without Education Centre Session) to the Castle Includes the Following:

• “Castle Visits” are self-guided tours that are ideal for those who want pupils to get a flavour of the Castle but who may have limited time. It also appeals to some groups with younger children and for certain groups with additional needs. Groups will be able to visit a selection of rooms in their own time. Visitor Hosts (Guides) are present in some of the rooms and an Animal Trail or Family Trail can be used to provide a trail around these rooms. Please be aware that other groups and members of the public will be visiting the rooms at the same time and that the rooms can get very busy on occasions.
• “Guided Tours” are conducted by a Visitor Host who will show pupils a selection of the highly decorative rooms in the Castle. This is the option we recommend for school groups as the Visitor Hosts have the knowledge and experience to point out interesting features and facts about the rooms and cover the background history, including giving information about the Bute family who owned Cardiff Castle from 1766-1947 and had such an impact on the Castle and city in the Victorian era. The advantage of the Guided Tour is that your group alone will be in most of the rooms allowing pupils to focus on the information given.

AUDIO GUIDE OF THE GROUNDS

The audio is available for free on the usual app stores, and can be downloaded via our website.

We have two versions of the audio guide:

• Children’s Audio Guide – available in Welsh and English. A narrator meets fictional characters from the Castle’s past and talks to them about what they are doing in various locations around the site. For example, in the Norman Keep, the narrator meets a medieval archer who tells of his skill as an archer, the night that Ifor Bach stormed the Castle and the job of the Gong Farmer. These characters are further developed in the Family Trail of the Grounds which are available to schools and are also on the Time Travellers section of our website.
• Adult Audio Guide – available in Welsh and English and narrated by Huw Edwards (other languages available). This gives an in-depth understanding of the site and its history. Pupils studying the Medieval Period at KS3 will benefit from listening to the relevant sections of this guide.

Areas covered by the Audio Guide include:

• The Battlements
• The North Gate
• The Keep
• The House
• The Black Tower
• The Castle Green
• The Trebuchet
• The Wartime Shelters

DURATION

A guided tour of the Castle lasts for approximately 50 minutes for KS2 and above and approximately 30 minutes for younger pupils of those with additional needs, if a shorter tour is preferred. A “Castle Visit” to the House can take between 15 & 25 minutes, or longer if detailed study is made.

Allow approximately 45 – 60 minutes to do the whole Audio Tour for children (longer for the adult tour). Groups may wish to only listen to the parts of the tour that are relevant to their range of study.

Groups often spend roughly 3 hours here if a session in the Education Centre or educational workshop is not included though visits can be shorter if required.

You are also welcome to visit Firing Line – the Museum of the Welsh Soldier in the basement of the Visitor Centre. Please note: Firing Line is independently managed and any activities offered are not a part of Cardiff Castle’s Education Service. Visits may not be possible on certain days, or may incur an additional charge

For more information on Cardiff Castle’s selection of educational activities, for health & safety information and booking details, please look at the educational pages of our website.