Victorian Life & Industry

Time: Full-day (10:00 am – 2:30 pm)
Cost: £250 per class

Curriculum links:

• History: Victorian Britain, Local History Study, Industrialisation and Social Change, Historical Enquiry

• English: Speaking & Listening, Drama and Role Play

• PSHE: Working Conditions, Childhood and Inequality, Rights & Responsibilities

Step into Victorian Britain and discover what life was like for workers living in a fast-changing industrial world. Begin by meeting Henry Gaunt, a Victorian employee at the Royal Gunpowder Mills. Through storytelling, questioning and interaction, pupils will explore how education, work and leisure shaped Henry’s everyday life.

With a visit to our Main Exhibition, packed with interactive displays, pupils will also discover why the Royal Gunpowder Mills became a site of local, national and international significance during Queen Victoria’s reign.

Pupils will then become History Detectives, investigating the site to uncover what Victorian buildings, structures and artefacts can reveal about the past. Along the way, they may even be put to the test to see how well they would have coped as Victorian workers in a fun, hands-on challenge.

“Our class enjoyed every minute of the trip. Meeting Henry Gaunt and asking and answering his questions was great. They also loved the scavenger hunt session in the afternoon and finding out more about the site. ”

Pupils take on the Victorian laundry challenge, testing their strength and stamina.