A climbable keep, a dungeon, arrow loops, murder holes and more make this quintessential castle a must to support your teaching of the curriculum. Explore on one of our free self-led visits or book an expert-led Discovery Visit for a hands-on learning session for your class.
Support your teaching in a fun and engaging way, with a visit to Goodrich Castle.
KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places; study of castles
KS1-3 History: Local History Study
KS2 History: A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils' chronological knowledge beyond 1066
KS2-3 Geography: Understand the strategic significance of the castle's position
KS3 History: Development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
GCSE History: Study of the historic environment
What activities are available during educational visits?
At Goodrich Castle you will discover one of the most complete sets of medieval domestic buildings surviving in England, at one of the key points of entry into Wales. Explore the Norman keep and red sandstone curtain walls cut from the deep dry moat. See the gatehouse, towers, chapel, kitchen, well, dungeon, halls and garderobes - everything your students would expect to find in a castle. Study the Civil War, medieval monarchs, Countess Joan de Valance, famous for entertaining up to 200 guests in her fashionable home, and develop your students' enquiry skills, interpreting the ruins as both a stronghold and a home.
Let our experts bring this medieval castle to life for your class with a fun and interactive Discovery Visit. On a guided tour of Goodrich Castle with one of our knowledgeable costumed volunteers, your students will imagine what life was like in the 13th century, with immersive learning activities. Our Discovery Visits have been adapted to follow health and safety guidelines and will still offer your students a quality and fun learning experience.
You can also download our free teaching resources to help support learning before, during and after your visit.
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
Human Geography
Settlement and land use Economic activity and trade
Investigate the location of Goodrich Castle and its significance in relation to other castles in the area, using the 'Perfect Castle Position' activity in the free Teachers' Kit available from the English Heritage website.
Medieval
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Medieval Society and Feudalism Religion and Crusades Norman Conquest Castles
Explore this quintessential medieval castle, and look out for defensive features, towers, well and garderobes. Download the Teachers' Kit from the English Heritage website for historical information and activities to support your teaching before, during and after your visit.
Enhance learning with an expert-led discovery visit:
- FEAST! A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PAGE (KS1-2): take on the role of pages sent to inspect the castle before their master arrives to dine with Countess Joan. Through imaginative role play, your students will join in with the castle's preparations for the feast to discover who lived at Goodrich Castle and what life was like in the 13th century. £100 per class, session lasts for 1½ hours.
Tudors Civil War Mary Queen of Scots
What size groups do we cater for?
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.
On-site classroom facilities?
Many of our sites have education rooms that can be booked. Please check the relevant schools property page before making a booking.
Is there first aid on site?
Yes.
Groups with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)
Our facilities have been designed to be as accessible as possible in order to meet the different needs of our visitors. A summary of the facilities provided can be found on our schools property pages.
If you or anyone in your group has particular access needs, please let us know at the point of booking or get in touch with our bookings team before you visit. Please note that some facilities may require booking in advance.
Yes ' please see our website for further details.
Teacher Checklist
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Who are English Heritage?
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year, over 300,000 of whom are education visitors.
We're the largest heritage provider of school trips and provide a wealth of free educational resources, alongside expert-led, paid-for workshops for KS1-4. The high-quality of our education provision has been recognised most recently with a number of Sandford awards. Caring for our places and their collections, for the benefit of this and future generations is a cornerstone of everything we do.
We are a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.
Every enquiry gives you a chance to win trips and workshops for your school - We are giving away a free trip for every week of the Autumn term!
We are bursting with school trip ideas on places that deliver first class teaching both outside the classroom and as in-school workshops. Feel free to use our tailor-made trip form and we can help you find the perfect experience for your class!