The charity which cares for more than 400 historical sites across England is welcoming pupils to both Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire and Grimes Graves in Norfolk.

Pupils visiting Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire

Source: English Heritage / Jim Holden

A new Discovery Visit at Bolsover Castle sees pupils investigate the lives of people who once lived there.

The 17th Bolsover Castle offers curriculum links to history, as well as art & design and geography. 

The Discovery Visit, named Society, science and Civil War, investigates the lives of a 17th century couple at Bolsover Castle. Pupils will use their sense and source analysis skills to explore their favourite past times and the impact of the English Civil War on the people and buildings at the castle.

A new Teachers’ Kit has been launched, and includes a range of activities to complete before, during and after the visit, such as a ‘Top Things To See’ when walking around, plus science and art trails.

Pupils visiting Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire

Source: English Heritage / Jim Holden

The visit encourages students use all their senses to learn about the past.

Teachers can also book free self-led visits, where they can walk in the footsteps of Charles I who visited prior to the English Civil War, and identify the features that make the castle an impressive mansion, rather than a defensive structure. 

A free multi-media guide is available to teachers who book self-led visits, which shares insights into the the life of the people who lived there, plus the art inside the building and much more.

What else is new from English Heritage?

Grimes Graves in Norfolk, which is the only Neolithic flint mine open to visitors in Britain, has reopened to school visits following a restoration project. 

Pupils visiting Grimes Graves in Norfolk

Source: English Heritage / Carney James Turner

Discover the history behind Grimes Graves on a free visit.

A new building on-site uses special technology to transport pupils back to the Neolithic period when it was a thriving flint mine. 

Education groups can visit the attraction for free, and teachers can make use of complimentary teaching resources, which highlight key things to look out for and how to identify the rocks on-site. 

For more information about school visits to Bolsover Castle, click here.

And to find out about educational trips to Grimes Graves, click here.