Vikings and Saxons

Portals To The Past School Workshop

We can visit your school in: East Midlands, West Midlands, London & South East, East of England, South West, North East, North West, Yorkshire

Why book 'Vikings and Saxons' with Portals To The Past

Why choose Portals to the Past?

We are not just “teachers that get dressed up”. Our multi-talented re-enactors are specialists in their field; true historians with a genuine passion for the past. The Portals team takes great delight in sharing their knowledge and their enjoyment of history with a whole new generation of history buffs.

As seen on film and TV...

Our Time Travellers are very much in demand for their depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. They regularly take part in historical re-enactments, and have appeared in many films, historical documentaries and on the BBC’s “Horrible Histories”.

Teacher Checklist

Risk Assessments

What activities are available during this educational workshop?

Our Saxon Workshop...

Experience Saxon England, from the hierarchy and etiquette of the Lord’s Hall, the language and the story of Beowulf, through to the burial of a Saxon king.

Morning session

The day begins with a short talk that explores how the Saxons changed the culture of post-Roman Britain, followed by:

Etiquette and hierarchy of a feast in the Lord’s Hall
Learn to play Fox and Geese, a Saxon board game
A performance of the famous Beowulf story
A Saxon quiz

Afternoon session

A weapons and armour display
Why did the Normans win the Battle of Hastings?
The burial of a Saxon King
How archaeologists make sense of the information they find in the ground

Our Viking Workshops...

This hugely popular Viking workshop covers everything from home-life to battles, Gods and how to have fun, Viking-style. Our Viking warriors have been successfully raiding schools for nearly twenty years and, in much the same way that the original Vikings left an enduring mark on Britain, they leave a lasting impression on pupils and teachers like.

Morning activities

The day starts with a short talk, followed by a number of activities for the children to take part in, such as:

Play Fox and Geese the viking board game
A Viking quiz
Having fun with kennings
Life at home – a chance to examine a range of artefacts from cooking pots and utensils to an ironing board and combs (the girls soon learn what was expected of them 1200 years ago!)

Afternoon activities

A weapons and armour display
Viking Spear wrestling
Viking battle

Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?

Curriculum topics available: Invaders and Settlers, Viking Raids and Invasion, Viking Trade, Mythology and Culture.

This hugely popular Viking workshop covers everything from home-life to battles, Gods and how to have fun, Viking-style. Our Viking warriors have been successfully raiding schools for nearly twenty years. We offer exciting, immersive and inspiring Viking & Saxon workshops for schools, presented by a charismatic team of “performing historians” with a deep-rooted passion for their subject.

Curriculum topics available: Invaders and Settlers, Saxon Settlements, Saxon Laws and Justice, Arts and Culture, Edward the Confessor.

Experience Saxon England, from the hierarchy and etiquette of the Lord’s Hall, the language and the story of Beowulf, through to the burial of a Saxon king.We offer exciting, immersive and inspiring Viking & Saxon workshops for schools, presented by a charismatic team of “performing historians” with a deep-rooted passion for their subject.

What size groups do you cater for?

Portals history workshops are designed to cater for up to 100 children, all day, working around your timetable.

Anything else?

Please note, if your school is located in a town or city we will require secure off-road parking for the duration of our visit to your school.

Who are Portals To The Past?

Bringing history lessons to life

We offer exciting, immersive and inspiring history workshops for schools, presented by a charismatic team of “performing historians” with a deep-rooted passion for their subject.

Hands-on, educational workshops

Drawing upon an unrivalled pool of talented historians, archaeologists and reenactors, we typically visit more than 1,700 UK schools a year to deliver hands-on, educational workshops that leave kids (and teachers) buzzing.