As part of this half term’s history topic on Viking Britain, Year 4 visited Bishop’s Wood Environmental Centre for a Viking Day. They were very excited on arrival to be met by a Viking settler, who told them about his homeland, how and why he had travelled to Britain and what it was about Britain that made it so attractive to Viking settlers. 

Afterwards the children sailed to Britain with their Viking guide, manning the oars when needed, then went off exploring the local area, looking for a likely place to settle. Luckily they found an abandoned farmhouse, surrounded by fertile land, perfect for growing crops and grazing animals. Having decided to settle there, the group got busy learning some of the skills they would need such as spinning wool in order to be able to make cloth for clothes, developing craftsman skills such as working with metal to make brooches, and learning how to write using Viking runes. They were very fast learners!

Later there was time to learn how to make temporary shelters to sleep in when traveling around the countryside, and to play a Viking children’s game, designed to help them become great warriors.

All in all a fantastic day of practical learning. Thank you to Bishop’s Wood and to our Viking guide.