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Dark Ages and Medieval

Anglo Saxons

Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons, designed for Key Stage 2

We base our learning sessions in the time of King Alfred the Great – the only monarch ever to have been awarded the title ‘The Great’ – in the latter days of the ninth century.

Black Knight Historical
Bryctwulf the Thegn

A typical day would include a visit from Bryctwulf the Thegn (left).

Students will learn about the migration period of our history after the decline of the Roman empire, poetry and sagas, life in the burgh, medicine and surgery, the differences between rich and poor, food, trade and warfare against the raiding Vikings.

Sessions  typically involve two educators, depending on your requirements – so students benefit from a carousel of activities on a variety of topics.

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Viking woman

If you’d like your pupils to understand the differences between the cultures at this time, we can also bring in a Viking woman, Helskegga (above).

Our Anglo-Saxon day includes a great selection of objects for study and handling, with Anglo-Saxon names given to all students, role-play of domestic life, and dressing up activities.

We’ll also look at military weapons, tactics and battles, and offer have-a-go activities such as: making butter, striking a coin, grinding corn, fire-lighting with flint and steel, understanding food and diet, and comparisons with our lifestyle today.

We have a superb backdrop of Anglo-Saxon houses to bring focus on homes and lifestyles:

Educational backdrop 1
Backdrop for Anglo-Saxon workshop

Vikings

Designed for Key Stage 2

Vikings! We visit the school in the personae of Ragnar Eriksson, raider at the time of the first Viking raids, and Helskegga Jomsdottir.

Wolf on the shield
A beautifully painted Viking shield
 

The children will meet Ragnar fully armed and armoured with helmet, shield, sword, two-handed axe, maille shirt, spear and banner, seax, cloak and accessories. Very dramatic as he leaps into action, straight off the dragon boat!

The children are each given a real Viking name for the day and learn how to write their new name using the Futhark (runes).

The armoured Viking holds up a sheet of runes
Ragnar the Viking with futhark scroll

Then we discuss the known world with a period map, investigate local town and village names with Viking origins, trade goods with Viking lands, examine food and drink, do some object handling, compare and contrast lifestyles then and now, and have dressing up activities with military weapons and armour.

Quernstone and Students
A Viking making flour
 

Activities that all the pupils can try include making butter, battle tactics, grinding corn, fire-lighting with flint and steel, and making a real Viking coin (one per child if budget allows). Plus much more, including Viking games Kubb and Hnafetafl, and rune writing.

Silver penny from the reign of Cnut
Make your own souvenir Viking coin
 

Children can learn some warrior battle tactics and pose in front of our great battle scene:

Viking warrior Harry
A young warrior dressed in our helmet, shield and sword

Finish the day with myths and legends including the Aesir, Asgard and Midgard, Bifrost, Valhalla and finally Ragnarok.

Battle of Hastings 1066

Educator meeting young students at Castle Rising castle
Ian at Castle Rising, Norfolk, delivering an on-site educational experience

Journey with us as we head back to that most famous of battles and relive the epic moments through the eyes of two people who were there!

Black Knight HIstorical
Students with Bayeux Tapestry
Black Knight Historical Anglo Saxon day
Edith the Fair – the ‘gentle swan’

 

Meet other major players in the story such as Edith Swan-neck (right), Edward the Confessor, Bishop Odo and Harald Hardrada. Find out why Harold Godwineson and William, Duke of Normandy came to savage blows on this fateful day in October 1066.

Our typical day includes studying key elements of the Bayeux Tapestry and re-enacting them with the children dressed up as knights and major characters from both sides.

Your students will examine weapons, real armour and tactics. They can try their hands at activities such as archery, striking a coin, grinding corn, and firelighting with flint and steel; they’ll learn about food and diet, and make interesting comparisons with our lifestyle today.

Black Knight Historical
Eustace II, Count de Boulogne, who founght on the Norman side in 1066

Medieval times

The development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509

Black Knight Historical are medieval specialists, and we can provide a wide range of medieval characters in your school to assist learning about relevant topics. Suitable for Key Stage 1. 2. 3 and 4 as required – please advise

Black Knight Historical castle
A large castle in your school for KS1 and 2.
Black Knight Historical
Benedictine nun

From a Norman Knight in 1066 to  a plague victim of the Black Death; a Benedictine nun (left), to an archer in the Wars of the Roses; and many others as required from our team of excellent medievalists!

Children first meet our characters in role: we can appear to the whole school as a special guest at assembly, or go straight to the classroom or hall as required.

Black Knight Historical
                        What makes a king?

The children are encouraged to immerse themselves in the period being studied, with dressing up activities,  roleplay jobs, listening to period music, learning a dance, making art, understanding heraldry and experiencing daily life compared and contrasted with today.

We have a large collection of authentically replicated objects from the time, for handling and examination or wearing. These include: clothing, hats, pottery, cooperage, treen, glass, tapestry, banners, arms and armour, cookery implements, furniture, food and drink, furs, medical and religious objects. 

We have presented special study days on the Battle of Hastings 1066,       the Wars of the Roses (focusing on the Battle of Barnet in  1471), multiple medieval characters for Black Death workshops, Magna Carta 1215, and Agincourt 1415 / The Hundred Years War.

Castles

Black Knight are delighted to offer a great workshop on castles! We bring our very own castle into the school.

School workshop on Castles
Our castle set up in a school hall

Sessions include:

  • Examination of features, moat, construction methods
  • Looking at decorations and functionality
  • Understanding terms such as portcullis, battlements and so on.

and we’ll be asking the questions: 

  • Why are they called castles?
  • What were they made from?
  • Who built them?
  • When were castles occupied?
  • What happened inside the stone walls?

Making the most of role-play and dressing-up in real medieval clothes and armour, children act out various jobs and duties in a castle, including fetching water in bucket, standing on guard, acting as a lady in waiting to a queen, and saying a Latin prayer as a chaplain.

kid in armour
Young knight!

Turrets and Tiaras

[Knights, Castles and Princesses] designed for KeyStage 1

Our fantastic and colourful workshop (sometimes known as ‘Knights, Castles and Princesses’) is designed for Key Stage 1, and involves lots of dressing up, role play, games and fabulous medieval artefacts! We even have a fire breathing dragon as a grand finale!

We bring a huge castle into the school six metres wide, with working drawbridge and portcullis.

The Black Knights castle in a school hall

Children learn about life in a castle by acting out jobs and duties, such as carrying a bucket of water, dressing a princess, being a soldier, acting as a stable boy, understanding religion, serving a Lord with food, and learning to dance.

Student carrying a bucket of water, medieval style

We dress up the entire class for our St. George Knight School activity, [see pic below], learning about medieval knights and the legend of our patron saint. Then children contribute ideas, names and items for their unique legend, such as Hero, Knight, Princess, Dungeon, Tower, Treasure, Monster… Let their imagination flow! All children get to contibute to the story.

Black Knight Historical Knight School
St. George’s Knight School in action!

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Black Knight Historical is an established historical services provider, supplying advice, consultancy and expertise as well as costumed actors, musicians and craftspeople for events of all kinds across the UK.

We can supply living history, costumed interpretation, workshops, craft demonstrations, historical lectures or fashion shows.

We can help you find locations, vehicles, horses, armour, costumes and props.

We work for media or corporate events, for film or television, for markets, fairs or fetes, for schools – supplying education or pure entertainment.

Don’t know where to start? We can write a feasibility study or develop a concept, and help you plan your event in any way you need – from start to triumphant finish.

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Call landline 01692 535613
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Black Knight Historical

© 2022 · Black Knight Historical · Website by Wayne Beauchamp
All text, images and ideas on this site are copyright to Ian Pycroft trading as Black Knight Historical and may not be used without written permission.