Year 2 w/b 6th May- Nantwich Museum
Date: 10th May 2024 @ 4:03pm
On Wednesday, we enjoyed a wonderful trip to Nantwich museum to find out a little bit more about the Great Fire of Nantwich.
Once we arrived, we were able to share our prior knowledge with the museum staff. It was fantastic to hear how much the children already remembered about the Great Fires of London and Nantwich. The museum had a large timeline which allowed us to see the chronology of historical events in the United Kingdom and those specific to Nantwich. We enjoyed looking at artefacts, models and replicas as we considered why the fire would burn so easily and spread so quickly.
After this, we explored artefacts, dressed up and practised writing Tudor letters with a quill. We were particularly interested in the Tudor watering can and the wooden shoes that were worn to protect shoes and clothing from the dirty streets. We also took part in a drama activity to understand why a fire break was necessary and how it worked. What great actors and actresses we have in Year 2!
After our lunch, we enjoyed a walking tour of Nantwich with Janet from Nantwich Museum. It was interesting to learn about the history of the narrow streets, street names, design of the buildings and other historical features of the town. Did you know that if the Tudor buildings had straight lines on them, it meant that they used to be hotels? We also learnt that people sheltered in St Mary’s church during the fire and the building was made of sandstone, so it didn’t burn and hence saved many lives. We also were interested to see The Bear Hotel and talk about the four wild bears that were released during the fire! We recognised Queen’s Aid House and the plaque to say thank you to Queen Elizabeth for her help after the fire. To end the tour, we were shown the pillory where Nicholas Brown was put as punishment for burning down the town. Janet taught us the song “Nicholas Brown burned down the town!”
What a fascinating day we had! We were so incredibly proud of the children’s wonderful behaviour, enthusiasm and historical knowledge and we look forward to another trip soon.
Miss Roxburgh
