Year 6 had a fantastic day visiting Arundel Castle as part of their topic on the Normans. They climbed to the top of the keep, walked round the moat, peered down the well and decided they did not want to be sent down the sally port! They learnt about armour and weapons used by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings with the aid of hobby horses for the cavalry, bows and arrows for the archers, and a full set of chain mail.
They also learnt how the castle has changed over time, from the first wooden motte and bailey that was two years after the Battle of Hastings, to the impressive mix of Medieval and Victorian castle that stands today. Their favourite part was the oubliette dungeon where prisoners were thrown to literally ‘be forgotten’; the slamming of the trap door in the darkness was a sound they would never forget.
