Abergavenny Museum
Abergavenny Museum
Abergavenny Museum and Castle is an ideal venue for an educational visit. We welcome schools who wish to bring pupils for a general visit to look at the castle and/or the museum displays. Entry is free. We do ask that you let us know when you are intending to visit, so we can let you know of any events that may affect your visit.
We are mindful of the pressures on the school budget and for this reason we have put together 'Castle Discoverers' a self led workshop for schools which focuses on the history of the Castle through outdoor learning.
We also run a successful programme of formal pre-booked schools workshops, which are well attended by schools from the surrounding area and further afield. All of the sessions have been designed with the curriculum in mind to allow the children to find out more about a particular subject area, whilst experiencing the unique environment of Abergavenny Museum and Castle. There is a charge for these workshops.
Workshops
Celts and Romans
- Find out from a 'Celt' and 'Roman' about their life, using historical style props and encouraging participation from the children
- Close observation of Roman objects from the museum collection and handling of replica items
- Explore the galleries using time detective sheets and/or equipment for drawing
Houses and Homes (The Victorian Kitchen)
- Find out from a 'Victorian Servant' the contrast between their own home life with the privileged life that they see in the home of their master
- Close observation of Victorian objects from the museum collection
- Visit the Victorian Kitchen in the Museum
- Explore the galleries
A Victorian Christmas
- Find out from our 'Victorian Housekeeper' about Christmas traditions, using period toys, costumes and props
- Have a go at making a traditional seasonal decoration
Victorian Work and Leisure
- Find out about life in a market town, in particular Abergavenny, during the 1880s
- Explore the types of jobs people had, their working day, what they earned
- Look at the different types of leisure activities of the Victorians
Play and Pastimes
- Look at period photographs, drawings or paintings of children from long ago and the toys they played with
- Handle/look at toys from the museum collections
- Find out about toys and games from the past through rhymes and songs
World War II
- Listen to 'Gladys', an 'Air Raid Patrol Warden', who will tell you about life in the Second World War
- Try on some period clothing
- Find out more about the artefacts in our 'Suitcase of History'
- Look at our museum displays
A Historical Re-enactment
An established re-enactment group will set up camp in the grounds of Abergavenny Castle. We have used a variety of groups in the past, with special favourites coming again and again. All the groups we work with have experience of working with children of all ages, abilities and special needs. The children will be able to look at the period from both a local and national perspective using armour, cannons, clothing, musical instruments and artefacts.
