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VICTORIAN SERVANTS' ACTIVITIES

Dressed in costume, children will have the opportunity to carry out various tasks that would have been part of the daily routine of the servants of Cardiff Castle. The sessions will provide an excellent object handling experience and will encourage role play.

SUITABILITY

PS 2-3

KS 2

DESCRIPTION

Following an introduction to the role of a servant in a Victorian house, the class will be dressed in costume. The group will visit the Maid’s Kitchen in the Clock Tower, which remains largely unchanged since Victorian times before returning to the Education Centre to carry out some of the servants’ tasks.

DURATION

The workshop will last for an hour. The guided tour of the Castle will last approximately 50 minutes.

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session, your pupils will have:

  • Learnt about the Marquess of Bute, who owned Cardiff Castle during the Victorian period.
  • Learnt what was required of a servant in the Bute Household.
  • Learnt how to greet a member of the Bute family and practised this greeting.
  • Learnt what the servants wore and dressed up in servants’ costumes in preparation for the workshop activities.
  • Learnt about the daily routine of the servants.
  • Carried out some of the tasks that were part of the servants’ routine.
  • Discussed the difference between life today and that in the Victorian era.
  • Handled a variety of original artefacts and used thinking skills to deduce the use of these items.
Links to the National Curriculum

Humanities (PS2-3 – Wales)

  • Enquiry, exploration, and investigation inspire curiosity about the world, it’s past, present, and future.
  • Events and human experiences are complex and are perceived, interpreted, and represented in different ways.

History – KS2 (England)

  • A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066

What Else is Included in Your Visit

  • Guided Tour of the Castle. A guided tour of the House is included in the price of the visit. The tour will take children to some of the highly decorated rooms that date from the Victorian period. The designs reflect the architect’s vision of how the interior of a medieval Castle would have been.
  • Use of the Audio Guide which has been written especially for children, downloadable in advance.
  • Access to areas of the Grounds including the Keep, the Battlements and Wartime Shelters.
  • A Visit to Firing Line – Museum of the Welsh Soldier (Military Museum in the Interpretation 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.

Telephone

029 2087 8110

Email

education@cardiff.gov.uk

Enquiry: An Audience with Queen Victoria

Please let our Education Office know if you have any questions about the An Audience with Queen Victoria workshop.