During our road trip to East Anglia last spring, we spent a day at Kentwell Hall at one of their Hands-On History Days. We attended a special home-ed edition on a Friday so were lucky enough to dodge any really large crowds. And what a day we had.
The event takes place throughout the grounds of the hall, with many historical eras represented – from Neolithic people right up to the Second World War. Each era is populated with experts who take on the role of the people from their time; some to an alarming degree (we couldn’t get a straight answer out of the Tudor potters, they were so “in” their roles).
After a go at making pots the 16th-century way, we visited the 1960s, the bronze age and had a fascinating chat with a 20th-century soldier who told us all about the work of the Red Cross. There was also a very patient falconer (and falcon), again from Tudor times, who was happy to chat about the work of a falconer in King Henry VIII’s day.
But the undoubted highlight was spending time with the Neolithic people in the woods. From their intricately built straw house to their use of flint tools to prepare food – they were a real joy to be around. I think we could have quite happily left the girls there all day. When we ventured into their camp we found them preparing the hide of a cow – scraping any flesh and sinew from the skin – in order to use it to make a boat over the course of the weekend.
We spent the entire day there – right up until they kicked us off the fields – and I’m fairly sure we could have gone back for another look round the following day.
As an added bonus, the girls submitted an article to First News for inclusion in their Junior Journalists section, and were over the moon to see it published.
