Roadschool Trip to the North Sea

 

Just a few miles away from Alnwick, the little seaside town of Alnmouth has quaint village charm and the beautiful North Sea. The town was founded in the 12t^h century and was named Alnmouth literally as the "mouth of the River Aln." It's located on the border between England and Scotland and has been involved in various wars between the two countries...even being burnt down in the 14t^h century!

For a long time, this was a port town, with many different trades, but with the advent of the railroads, it transformed into a Northumbrian seaside getaway.  If you love walking or hiking, you're going to love visiting this region, which has the tidal beaches on one side and rolling countryside on the other. There are several miles of scenic footpaths that pass through a number of villages similar to Alnmouth.

Great Britain's railway history dates back to the 16t^h century, when wagon ways were build of straight timber rails on which carts were drawn by horses. Several of these wagons could be drawn simultaneously, allowing for greater movement of goods and supplies. In the 18t^h century, these were improved upon with cast iron rails and then wrought iron rails, which are used today.

The 19t^h century set the pattern for the modern railway system, with the world's first inner-city passenger train with scheduled services and stations. These trains carried both cargo and passengers, and were so popular that more and more lines were added. There were a multitude of small railway companies, but eventually they merged into the "Big Four," (Southern Railway, Great Western Railway, London and North Easter Railway, and London Midland Scottish Railway) which ran the industry until the late 1940s.

During World War II, the Big Four worked together and operated as one company, assisting with the war effort. It was after this that the British government brought railways back into the public sector, and they have been a primary form of transportation in the region since. However, the network has been severely disrupted many times since the mid 2010s, with industrial actions and rail strikes wreaking havoc on traveler transit.

Pick up activities and worksheets to augment your real or virtual trip in the unit study bundle below!

Explore the art, history, geography, food, and culture of England in this cross-curricular unit study….perfect for families getting ready to travel abroad or folks who want to travel via unit studies!  Each stop along the roadschooling trip covers a different facet of history and culture with unit information, resources, worksheets, activities, and more...  

YES!  I want 122 pages of FUN STUDIES!

Table of Contents:

• o Introduction & Geography of England
• o Portsmouth
  • o The Mary Rose & naval archaeology
• o London
  • o The British Museum & archaeology
  • o The Wallace Collection & medieval history
  • o The Tower of London / London Bridge & the Tudors
  • o Buckingham Palace & royalty
  • o Victoria and Albert Museum & medieval art
  • o Thames / Globe Theater & Shakespeare
  • o Sherlock Holmes Museum & British Literature
  • o Abbey Road & British Invasion
• o Leeds
  • o Royal Armouries & middle ages
• o York
  • o Jorvik & Vikings
  • o York Castle & archaeology
• o Haltwhistle
  • o Hadrian’s Wall & ancient Celts
  • o Vindolanda & archaeology
• o Alnwick
  • o Alnwick Castle & architecture
  • o Poison Garden & herbs
  • o Barter Books & WW2 history
• o Alnmouth
  • o North Sea & train history
• o Newcastle o Segedunum & ancient Romans
• o Tips & Tricks for Travelling in England