Roadschool Trip to Alnwick Castle

 

Alnwick Castle is a country home in Northumberland, and one of Great Britian's medieval heritage destinations. It has stunning architecture and is beautifully furnished, with some new detail to grab your eye around every corner. The castle's rich history is brimming with drama, intrigue, and extraordinary people. In recent years, it has also taken starring roles in a number of film and television productions, featuring as the magnificent Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey and the Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter films.

Alnwick Castle has nearly a thousand years of history to discover, with its origins dating back to the Norman period. Since 1309, its story has been intertwined with that of the Percy family, a family with a history as illustrious as the castle's own. The Percy family were powerful lords in north England, going back as far as when Henry Percy, the first Earl of Northumberland, helped to dethrone King Richard II.

During the Wars of the Roses, Alnwick was one of three Lancastrian castles, and the only one that saw combat, as most battle was based on the field. During World War II, it was home to several youth when the Newcastle Church High School for Girls was evacuated there. Today, the castle is used as both a residence and tourist site, as the Percy family still resides in the castle part of the year.

Tip, if you're going to be exploring the area for a while, at Alnwick Castle, your ticket is good for a full year!

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