Castles, Knights and Medieval Life - The History of the British Isles

Did you know there are several thousand castles across the British Isles?  Come and find out about how they were constructed, the men, women and children who lived in them, what everyday life was like, and of course, how to attack (and defend) one of these impressive strongholds.  There will be the chance to talk about dungeons and great halls, armour and heraldry, knights and horses, moats, drawbridges, jousting, feasting, the rich and the poor, and so much more.   I can't wait to get going!

My classes are relaxed and friendly.  I encourage learners to contribute, ask questions, share what they already know and to comment on what they are finding, out as we go along.  I show lots of pictures to illustrate what we are learning - in the UK we have lots of castles still remaining that we can look at to demonstrate what we are talking about. 



Week of 25th November - A Brief Timeline: 
Early castles, including hill forts and Roman castles
Motte and bailey castles
Keep castles
Concentric castles
From early times, as soon as the British people began to be settled and start farming, they built defences - and this defence building didn't stop for hundreds of years.  We will trace the history of forts and castles from hill forts, through Roman fortifications, to the new style of castle that William the Conqueror brought over to the UK from France.  This continues through concentric castles to the opulent Tudor castles of kings like Henry 8th - have you heard of Hampton Court?  Castles were built for different reasons in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales,  so we will find out a bit of the historical context too.

Week of 2nd December - Attack and Defend:
How to defend a castle
How to attack a castle
The whole reason to build a castle was to protect yourself and your land. We will also find out about some of the war machines used to attack the castles, like battering rams, trebuchets and catapults, as well as techniques like undermining and laying siege. There were lots of ways to defend these strongholds too - barrages of arrows from your best archers, pouring quicklime through murder holes, setting fire to the siege towers, and more. These were brutal times!  

Week of 9th December - Inside a Castle
Come on a tour of a medieval castle, and find out the numerous rooms for the nobility and for the servants.  Find out about how the great hall, the solar, the dungeons and the garde-robes were used.  We will find out how food was cooked, how the rooms were lit and where people slept. Did you know that at one time bedrooms were public spaces where the lord of the castle would conduct business?  We will also look at how castles became palaces in Tudor times, when they were more luxurious homes than places to defend.

Week of 16th December -  Everyday Life in a Castle
Castles weren't under attack all the time - so we will find out what life was like in a castle on a daily life.  This includes jobs the servants did (castles needed hundreds of people to keep them running smoothly),  how the nobility lived and what the role of noble women was at the time.  We will see  what people ate on a daily basis, and also find out about the amazing food they ate at feasts and banquets - would you eat dolphins, or a pie full of live frogs?    

Week of  23rd December - Entertainment
What did people do for entertainment in medieval times?  We will take a look at sports we still play today, like tennis and billiards, and at minstrels and the music they played.  The court jester or fool carried out a very important role, so we will look at what they did to entertain and distract the king, and also find out about some specific and famous jesters. 

Week of 6th January - Knights, armour and horses
We will take an in-depth look at armour (chain mail, plate armour, helmets), horses (destriers and chargers, and embardment - horse armour) and weaponry (maces, swords, lances) - everything a knight needed to go into battle.  We will also look at other soldiers, like archers. 

Week of 13th January - Tournaments and battles
We will discuss why tournaments weren't just entertainment, or even a way to uphold your honour, but were a preparation for battle.  Vault on your horse, close your visor -  would you be bold enough to take a turn in the lists, riding full pelt at your opponent with your lance, sword and mace?  We will also look at the brutal reality of battles - would you be brave enough to serve your liege?

Week of 20th January - The Knightly Code and Heraldry (Coats of Arms)
Being a knight meant being chivalrous; we will find out what that means.  Knights had their own, unique coats of arms, and in the UK you still see them displayed in castles and town halls. There is specific terminology (based on Old French)  to describe the colours, the patterns, the shapes and even the way the animals are sitting or standing. What would you have on your coat of arms?

Week of 27th January - A Brief Timeline: 
Early castles, including hill forts and Roman castles
Motte and bailey castles
Keep castles
Concentric castles
From early times, as soon as the British people began to be settled and start farming, they built defences - and this defence building didn't stop for hundreds of years.  We will trace the history of forts and castles from hill forts, through Roman fortifications, to the new style of castle that William the Conqueror brought over to the UK from France.  This continues through concentric castles to the opulent Tudor castles of kings like Henry 8th - have you heard of Hampton Court?  Castles were built for different reasons in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales,  so we will find out a bit of the historical context too.

Week of 3rd February  - Attack and Defend:
How to defend a castle
How to attack a castle
The whole reason to build a castle was to protect yourself and your land. We will also find out about some of the war machines used to attack the castles, like battering rams, trebuchets and catapults, as well as techniques like undermining and laying siege. There were lots of ways to defend these strongholds too - barrages of arrows from your best archers, pouring quicklime through murder holes, setting fire to the siege towers, and more. These were brutal times!  

Week of 10th February - Inside a Castle
Come on a tour of a medieval castle, and find out the numerous rooms for the nobility and for the servants.  Find out about how the great hall, the solar, the dungeons and the garde-robes were used.  We will find out how food was cooked, how the rooms were lit and where people slept. Did you know that at one time bedrooms were public spaces where the lord of the castle would conduct business?  We will also look at how castles became palaces in Tudor times, when they were more luxurious homes than places to defend.

Week of 17th February -  Everyday Life in a Castle
Castles weren't under attack all the time - so we will find out what life was like in a castle on a daily life.  This includes jobs the servants did (castles needed hundreds of people to keep them running smoothly),  how the nobility lived and what the role of noble women was at the time.  We will see  what people ate on a daily basis, and also find out about the amazing food they ate at feasts and banquets - would you eat dolphins, or a pie full of live frogs?   

Week of 24th February - Knights, armour and horses
We will take an in-depth look at armour (chain mail, plate armour, helmets), horses (destriers and chargers, and embardment - horse armour) and weaponry (maces, swords, lances) - everything a knight needed to go into battle.  We will also look at other soldiers, like archers. 

Week of 3rd March  - Tournaments and battles
We will discuss why tournaments weren't just entertainment, or even a way to uphold your honour, but were a preparation for battle.  Vault on your horse, close your visor -  would you be bold enough to take a turn in the lists, riding full pelt at your opponent with your lance, sword and mace?  We will also look at the brutal reality of battles - would you be brave enough to serve your liege?

Week of 10th March - The Knightly Code and Heraldry (Coats of Arms)
Being a knight meant being chivalrous; we will find out what that means.  Knights had their own, unique coats of arms, and in the UK you still see them displayed in castles and town halls. There is specific terminology (based on Old French)  to describe the colours, the patterns, the shapes and even the way the animals are sitting or standing. What would you have on your coat of arms?


I will provide a blank fact file sheet to go with each class, so that your learner can record key facts if they choose to; they can complete them in class, or after the class.  The use of these is optional

I aim to be inclusive; if your learner has additional needs, please do let me know - I will do my best to adapt my class and teaching so they can enjoy it too.

If you would like this class scheduled at a different time, just get in touch; I may be able to help.