Beeston Castle and Woodland Park

Beeston Castle, with its impressive location and natural defenses, has been home to prehistoric settlers and great Barons. It has acted as a defense against aristocratic rivals, and has even been an important English Civil War stronghold. What better place to step outside the classroom and bring your curriculum to life?

Cover a range of topics across the key stages:
KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places in the locality. Similarities and differences in ways of life in different time periods
KS1 Science: Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common plants, including trees. Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats
KS2 History: A local history study. Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to Iron Age. A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
KS2 Science: Name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment
KS2 Geography: Human geography: types of settlement and land use. Identify the difference between natural and manmade defensive features of the castle, understand the strategic significance of the castle’s position
KS3 History: A local history study. The development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509 and in Britain 1509-1745. A study of an aspect or theme in British history that consolidates and extends pupils’ chronological knowledge from before 1066

Organise your day to suit your curriculum needs. Climb the hill to look out over the surrounding landscape, explore the castle ruins and peer down the well, one of the deepest castle wells in England. Discover the Bronze Age story of Beeston in our newly completed roundhouse. Made using traditional materials and techniques, it is based on archaeological evidence of Bronze Age huts found at Beeston and offers an idea of how prehistoric settlers might have lived. The woodland surrounding the castle contains a diverse range of plants and animals, and provides an excellent opportunity to learn about KS1-2 science topics in an outdoor environment.

For a hands-on, immersive experience, book a Discovery Visit workshop led by one of the site experts at Beeston Castle. Perfect for KS2, these workshops for up to 30 pupils offer quality learning experiences outside of the classroom:
• Prehistoric Settlers (KS2): learn about life at Beeston in the Bronze Age through hands-on activities and a visit to the newly completed Bronze Age roundhouse. £100 per class, session lasts for 1½ hours
• Fortress Castle (KS2): discover medieval life at Beeston Castle, using role play, costume and handling objects to bring the past to life. £100 per class, session lasts for 1½ hours

You can also download our free teaching resources to help support learning before, during and after your visit.

There are generally no limits to the size of education group, provided the group meets our ratios for leaders to learners. Our Discovery Visit workshops are suitable for groups of up to 30. Please see our school visit terms and conditions on our website for further details.

Many of our sites have education rooms that can be booked. Please check the relevant schools property page before making a booking.

Yes

Yes – please see our website for further details.