Wakefield Museums and Castles

Create a castle story

In this fun and interactive workshop pupils will hear the story of Ilbert, a lonely dragon who lived at Pontefract Castle long, long ago.

They will become part of the story by donning dragon wings and ‘flying’ around the castle site. 

Workshop includes:

• Interactive storytelling
• Group activities and collaborative story planning
• Exploring Pontefract Castle

Venue: Pontefract Castle

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

How did we live in the past?

Pupils will meet Mrs. Ann Dixon, a character based on a real-life Victorian resident of Wakefield.

She will describe her family, her life, and her Victorian home. She will then invite pupils to join in with some of her daily chores. 

Sessions delivered at Wakefield Museum will take place against the backdrop of our replica Victorian kitchen.

Workshop includes:

• Interactive role play
• Object handling and identification
• Working in co-operative groups

Venue: Wakefield Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

We also have two ‘Victorian’ themed loan boxes available for schools to borrow.

Time to prepare the castle

In this time-travelling workshop pupils will take on the role of Tudor servants.

They will help to prepare Pontefract Castle for the arrival of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine Howard.

This is an all-day workshop with a midday lunch break. Schools must bring their own lunches with them.

Workshop includes:

• Multi-sensory activities
• Interactive storytelling and role play
• Learning about history where it happened

Venue: Pontefract Castle

Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes (including one hour break for lunch)

Please note: Schools must provide a minimum of four accompanying adults to assist pupils as they undertake the session activities in four groups.

Toys of the past

This session is an excellent introduction to learning about the past. You will get to see and discuss toys from the last 100 years.

Pupils will discover different ways of dating toys. This includes identifying what materials they are made from and how they move.

Workshop includes:

• Learning with museum objects
• Developing thinking, listening and questioning skills
• Learning through play

Venue: Wakefield Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

We also have two ‘Toys and Materials’ themed loan boxes available for schools to borrow.

Castles and battles

In this interactive workshop pupils will learn about the building and evolution of Pontefract Castle. They will explore the castle’s ruins and view historic illustrations. 

Pupils will be introduced to three battles from different times in the past. 

The workshop will finish with the creation of collaborative castle collages.

Workshop includes:

• Exploring history where it happened
• Developing understanding through observation, engagement and actions
• Expressing learning and understanding through art

Venue: Pontefract Castle

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Please note: Schools must provide a minimum of three accompanying adults to assist pupils as they undertake the session activities in three groups.

Rhubarb in our region

Rhubarb is one of our region’s most important plants. In this workshop pupils will find out why that is. They will discover some fascinating scientific facts about this amazing plant.

Pupils will discover where rhubarb originally came from. They will learn about its use as a medicinal ingredient in the past. Pupils will then learn what ‘forced rhubarb’ is and why it is so significant to the Wakefield area.

To finish the session, pupils will design pop-up pictures inspired by what they have learned.

Materials will be left with the class so that the pupils can plant their own rhubarb seeds aand watch them grow.

Workshop includes:

• Learning with historical photographs
• Interactive and multi-sensory activities
• Creativity and design
• Opportunity to grow plants from seed

Dates available: January, February and March 2025

Venue: Wakefield Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes on site or in school

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Magna Carta: our local links

In this fun and lively workshop, drama-based storytelling will bring the past to life!

Pupils will learn about the relationship between King John and the de Lacy family, the owners of Pontefract Castle.

They will learn how John de Lacy became involved in the creation of the Magna Carta.

Pupils will work in groups to create a classroom Magna Carta using quill pens.

Workshop includes:

• Learning about significant people and events from the past
• Discovering local links to national history
• Developing an understanding of history through fun, engaging and memorable activities

Venue: Pontefract Castle or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Please note: Schools must provide a minimum of four accompanying adults to assist pupils as they undertake the session activities in four groups.

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Sweet success

In this engaging workshop pupils will learn all about the history of liquorice. They will discover that it was a Pontefract chemist called George Dunhill who first used the plant to flavour sweets. 

Pupils will consider how the local sweet factories competed for customers. They will look at examples of old Pontefract Cake tins from the past. They will finish by designing their own persuasive packaging.

Sessions delivered at Pontefract Castle will include a walk around the site to discover the castle’s historic links with the local liquorice industry.

Workshop includes:

• Discovering the role of liquorice in Pontefract's history
• Considering how words and images can be persuasive
• Creating designs for persuasive packaging

Venue: Pontefract Castle, in school or virtual

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes on site or in school; 1 hour virtual

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Charles Waterton: the power of words

Charles Waterton was a man from the Wakefield area who lived in the 1700 and 1800s. He had a lifelong love of nature.

In this workshop pupils will learn how Charles used written words to campaign against actions that were harmful to the environment.

They will read excerpts from his letters and examine taxidermy specimens. They will write their own powerful words to protect nature using quill pens.

Workshop includes:

• Learning about a local person of historical significance
• Learning using museum objects and historic documents
• Writing with quill pens

Venue: Wakefield Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Arts Award Discover in a Day Option: We have trained Arts Award Advisers who can assess for Discover and Explore levels. Pupils can achieve their Arts Award Discover in an extended workshop option.

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Introducing Elizabeth Moxon

Pontefract’s Elizabeth Moxon was a pioneering author from the 1700s. She was the first woman from Yorkshire to publish a cookery book!

Long before Mrs Beeton, Elizabeth Moxon collected recipes and combined them with useful tips to produce a practical guide for eighteenth century housewives. She sold her book herself from her doorstep in Pontefract’s town centre! 

In this workshop pupils will be introduced to Elizabeth and why her book was so significant. They will explore instructions on how to set a table to recipes for some rather unusual dishes.

They will undertake some fun activities to bring that content to life. They will also create some cookery books of their own inspired by Elizabeth and the era in which she lived.  

Venue: Pontefract Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes on site or in school

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Introducing Alice Gostick

Alice Gostick was an art teacher in Castleford in the early 1900s. She even taught a young Henry Moore!

In this creative workshop pupils will learn about Alice’s background. They will learn how she brought the skills acquired in her youth to Castleford, where she taught local people the art of pottery painting.

Pupils will get the chance to hold pottery from different time periods - Roman to Victorian - in their hands. They will discover how the way in which a piece of pottery is decorated can reveal how old it is.

They will then see examples of ‘Peasant Pottery’, the type of pottery decoration Alice taught her pupils.

Finally, they will have a go at creating their own Peasant Pottery designs on paper plates to keep.

Venue: Castleford Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes on site or in school

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Introducing Nellie Spindler

In this workshop pupils will first learn that Nellie Spindler was a Wakefield nurse who served in the First World War. They will examine museum objects and photographs to discover some advancements in medical care that were in place at the start of World War One.

Pupils will then learn about Nellie’s selflessness and courage in war. They will discover how she is remembered in our local area today with a blue plaque and a street named after her.

To finish, pupils will create their own blue plaque crafts to honour inspiring women from their own lives.

Venue: Wakefield Museum or in school

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes on site or in school

This workshop is also suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils.

School dungeon tours

You can enhance your class visit to Pontefract Castle by adding a guided tour of the site’s dungeon.

Through this immersive experience, pupils will discover when and how the underground rooms were created. They will learn how their use changed over time.

Pupils will also learn about some of the key people and events involved in the castle’s history.

Throughout the tour pupils can join in with interactive opportunities to see, speak, touch and smell!

Tour includes:

• Learning about history where it happened
• Interactive storytelling
• Immersive learning

Venue: Pontefract Castle

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes overall

Note: Your class will be divided into two groups due to limited capacity underground. Each group will spend approximately 30 to 40 minutes below ground. While one group is below ground, the other can explore above ground under the supervision of school staff. 

Schools must provide a minimum of 3 adults to help supervise classes during dungeon tours.