Viking and Anglo-Saxon Workshop

Days Gone By Heritage

Viking/Anglo Saxon

What’s the deal?

· Our highly interactive and historically driven workshops are bookable in half or full day formats, and are bookable for individual classes or multiple separate class groups.

· These workshops can be run on Vikings or Saxons, or a combination of both, and can be led by either one or two of our educational interpreters.

· We have an extensive breadth of knowledge and can cover all of the following topics in our workshops – choose any in which your class has a particular interest, or just allow the class to guide their own learning on the day. There’s not much that we can’t teach them about Vikings and Saxons.

· If you choose to book a session led by two interpreters, and if space allows, we can even offer a spectacular combat demonstration to conclude your day.

General topics

· Society, status & power

· Craft & industry

· Weapons & warfare

· Board & dice games

What we can cover from Vikings

· Trade & economy

· Sagas & storytelling

· Ships, raiding & settlement

· Gender & women’s stories

· Crafting, metalworking & industry

What we can cover from Saxons

· Religion & writing

· Poetry & kennings

· Invasion & conquest

· Medicine & science

· The Norman Conquest

Viking and Anglo-Saxon Workshop photograph

school trip at Viking and Anglo-Saxon Workshop

school groups Viking and Anglo-Saxon Workshop

Viking and Anglo-Saxon Workshop school groups

Where we travel to

We can visit your school in: East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West, Yorkshire

Which curriculum topics do we cater for?

Saxons

Invaders and Settlers Saxon Settlements Saxon Laws and Justice Arts and Culture Edward the Confessor

The Anglo-Saxons ruled in Britain for c.650 years. In that time, kingdoms like Northumbria, Mercia, Kent and Wessex rose and fell.

The Anglo-Saxons brought with them their own distinct language, religion and material culture. Let our artefact handling workshops show your students how people lived their lives in Early-Medieval England.

Learn how the Anglo-Saxons went from warring with each other, to establishing the very first kingdom of England, and how it was all lost to the Normans on a misty October day in 1066.

Vikings

Invaders and Settlers Viking Raids and Invasion Viking Trade Mythology and Culture

The Vikings terrorised the UK and mainland Europe for three centuries, using their flexibility, adaptability, and seafaring technology to raid, trade and settle almost any land they encountered.

Our in-school workshops explore the volatile period known as the Viking age, from the first recorded raids such as Lindisfarne, to Harald Hardrada's famous death at the battle of Stamford Bridge.

Spark your students' imagination with our artefact handling sessions, storytelling activities, and maybe even a boasting competition or two.

Medieval

Norman Conquest Battle of Hastings

The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons were key figures in the creation of the Medieval world.

The Normans bring the Early-Medieval period to an end after the historical events of 1066, when William the Conqueror seizes the kingdom of England. Bring the Battle of Hastings to your classroom with our workshops that discuss medieval warriors, weaponry and tactics.

Archaeology

We provide replica archaeological artefacts for students to interact with, many of which we make ourselves as close replicas of archaeological finds.

We explain how historic people lived their lives, and where we get this information from. We discuss sources from excavations and historical texts, and how it is important to use a mixture of sources to establish historical fact.

Monarchs

What size groups do we cater for?

We love to work with single class-sized groups, but we can deliver talks to larger groups on arrangement.

Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

We work with SEN groups, and can suitably tailor our material and delivery for whatever your particular access requirements might be.

Anything else?

All of our workshops can be built around your needs as a teacher, just let us know and we will deliver!

Our Interpreters all carry enhanced DBS certificates

Who are Days Gone By Heritage?

Who we are
· Samuel and Hayden met whilst studying Viking Age history and archaeology at university, where they worked on an educational programme bringing Vikings & Saxons into local schools and led the training sessions for the university’s historical combat group.
· Samuel went on to gain an MA in Medieval Studies, and has worked in several museums in York where he led a team of interpreters delivering various historically immersive experiences, as well as working as an archaeologist at a significant Viking settlement.
· Hayden entered the events industry, where he has led many school workshops, guided tours, and combat tuition, and has often appeared in film & television. He writes historical stories, and also makes replica artefacts.
· Working together, they have over twenty years of experience as educators and a formidable depth of knowledge and passion in the field of historical education.