All the sessions offered by Castell Henllys are linked to the key purposes of the National Park and the National Curriculum. Please contact Castell Henllys prior to your visit if you have specific objectives you wish to achieve during your visit.
Title of Day session: Daily Life in the Iron Age
Suitable for Foundation and KS2. Duration: Approx. 3.5 hours with lunch break but can be modified to fit school timings.
Activities
Taught sessions by our costumed interpreters where the pupils are taken back in time to the Iron Age where there will be demonstrations and activities. The content of each session are described below.
Building
In this session, pupils will be introduced to building methods in the Iron Age by learning how to build a roundhouse. The talk will cover the sourcing of materials and its sustainability, the use of each material, the building process (wattle and daub demonstration) and what the finished house would look like and work.
Activity: After the wattle and daub demonstration the children will be allowed to have a go at wattling
Aspects of curriculum covered: Design and Technology, History, Mathematics, sustainability
Cooking
In this session pupils will learn about where food came from in the Iron Age and how it was prepared to eat. The interpreter will demonstrate how they made bread.
Activity: The children will have the chance to use the quern stones to grind flour and knead/ shape dough.
Aspects of the curriculum covered: Science (nutrition), cooking, history
The Chieftain’s Treasures
In this session the children will be introduced to the chieftain of the village. The chieftain will give a broad introduction to Iron Age society by talking about various artefacts in the house in a fun and entertaining way. For example:
- Favourite cloak- how clothes were made
- Mirror, torc, sword- Craftsmanship and the use of different metals, nice objects to show wealth etc.
- Cauldron- Gods and goddesses, sacrifices, watery places
- Antler/ head- trophies of hunting and warfare
Activity: Boasting game- children are divided into groups where they must choose a modern item that they have on them (shoe, socks, watch, ipad) and they must come up with a fantastical story as to why that particular item is the best of all of the items. The chieftain will decide which item they thought was the best.
Aspects of curriculum covered: Language, history, working as a team, problem solving
The Warrior’s Way
In this session the pupils will be introduced to Iron Age warfare. The interpreter will demonstrate and talk about various aspects of how Iron Age people went into battle (weaponry, armour, sounds etc.). Weather permitting they will also show and talk about the defences of the village and how slingshots were used.
Activity: Weather permitting- sling shot, weather not permitting fire starting
Aspects of the curriculum covered: Gender equality, history, geography, design and technology
Things to know before your Visit
Teacher Pre-visit
Teachers are welcome to make free pre-visits to the site and we will do everything we can to assist them.
Staffing
The school must ensure that it provides the required minimum staffing levels as set by their local authority for school visits. For all activities, however small the group, there is a minimum requirement to provide two supervising staff, thereafter a ratio of at least one staff member per 15 pupils.
Additional Needs
Castell Henllys endeavours to make all its activities available to everyone, regardless of ability. Please advise us of any children with allergies, medical conditions and additional needs so that we can modify our activities accordingly. The walk to the village can be steep in places, please inform us if you have wheelchair users or pupils in crutches so that we can make additional arrangements.
Timings
Timings will have been agreed when making the booking. If a group is late arriving, we will try to complete the programme as agreed, but reserve the right to modify or cancel the session.
Clothing
Groups must be suitably dressed for the variable Pembrokeshire weather. Strong or suitable footwear should be worn. Waterproofs are essential and it is suggested that children wear everyday clothes.
Health and Safety
Please advise us of any children with allergies, medical conditions and additional needs.
A risk assessment for the School’s programme are provided to the school with each booking letter. Please read these carefully and if you have any queries please contact us.
It must be stressed that the existence of a Castell Henllys risk assessment does not absolve schools from their own responsibility. School Staff need to have completed any necessary paperwork, including a risk assessment, that is required by their LEA or governing body.
The legal duty of care for the safe organisation and delivery of the activity lies with the Castell Henllys Staff. However the overall responsibility for the care, conduct, control and behaviour of the pupils remains with the school leader at all times.
Adverse Weather
If on the date of your visit, a Yellow weather warning (for any weather event) is issued or forecasted by the Met Office in the SA41 area, the site will call your school the day before to advise if the visit should go ahead.
If an Amber warning (for any weather event) is in force or is forecasted by the Met office in the SA41 area on the day of your visit, the site will call the school and the visit will be cancelled and re-arranged.
Should adverse weather be affecting the area of your school and your school’s ability to visit, please advise us at your earliest convenience.
Modifying or Cancelling an Activity
Occasionally circumstances change, and it may become necessary for either Castell Henllys or the School to cancel or rearrange a visit. When this happens it is important that all parties are informed as soon as possible. In the event of a visit being cancelled or rearranged we need to know the details and date of the visit and the school contact. After any changes have been agreed new letters of confirmation will be sent out.
Please note, cancellation within 48 hours of an event may incur an administration fee.
A fee will not be applied in the case of a cancellation due to adverse weather affecting the school.
On the day of your Visit
Directions for Bus Drivers
Please see end of this document for directions for bus drivers coming from the M4 or Carmarthen direction.
Arrival
Castell Henllys expects the school to arrive at the site on the agreed time and fully prepared to complete the session. Should you be delayed for any reason please phone to make us aware of your delay. If you arrive late we reserve the right to modify the session to ensure pupils experience most of the activities of the session.
On arrival coaches should park by the church of St Dogfael where a member of the Castell Henllys staff will be waiting to meet your group. If the Castell Henllys staff member is not present on your arrival please remain on the coach until they arrive.
Typical Layout of the Day
- 10.30am: Arrival and Orientation
- 10.40am: Toilet stop and travel back in time
- 10.50am: Arrive at village, Welcome and put into groups
- 11am: Activity 1
- 11.30am: Activity 2
- 12 noon: Lunch break (20-30mins)
- 12:30pm: Activity 3
- 1pm: Activity 4
- 1.30pm: Collect bags, depart village and travel back to the present
- 1.45pm: Toilet stop and Walk back to bus
- 2pm: Depart.
Behaviour
It is the responsibility of the School Leader to ensure appropriate behaviour and conduct of the group at all times, and to support the Castell Henllys Staff when managing the group. Please note, if at any point during your visit the Castell Henllys staff deems a situation unsafe or unsuitable they can decide to stop the activity.
Payment
School groups can either pay on the day of their visit or be invoiced for the session after the visit. The cost per child is £4.50 (plus VAT). Supervising adults are free. Please confirm the number of pupils attending 2 days in advance- the number of children booked will be the number invoiced for.
Shop
Please let us know in advance if you would like to visit the shop at the end of your visit. Alternatively, the school can pre-order packs worth £3, £4 or £5 prior to the visit.
Litter
In order to keep the illusion of travelling back in time, we have no waste bins in the Iron Age village. Please ask the children to put any waste back into their packed lunch container and take them home with them for recycling.
Directions to Castell Henllys for Coaches coming from Carmarthen area
- Take A40 out of Carmarthen towards Pembrokeshire signposted to Fishguard
- Follow A40 for 18.1 miles
- Turn right onto A478 Signposted Cardigan.Follow A478 for 15.2 miles
- Turn left onto B4332 Signposted Eglwyswrw
- Follow for 3.4 miles
- Turn left at T junction in Eglwyswrw on to A487
- Follow A487 for 1.5 miles to Brown sign Castell Henllys
- Turn right and descend to Coach parking area.
