The day started with a casual stroll through the gardens and up to the house where we found Lord John, Lady Mary and Lady Catherine waiting to greet us. After bidding ‘Goodmorrow’ they showed us in to the house where we talked about the Tudor timeline. The children learned that the Lytton family’s connections with Britain’s monarchs dates back to Henry 7th, the first Tudor king, and that the family even hosted Elizabeth 1st for four days back in 1571.
Once divided into groups they spent the morning completing various activities, all the while collecting tokens for their excellent answers and intersting questions. They tried on some Tudor clothes and compared then to how we dress today before trying to decipher some Tudor handwriting, as well as try and write their names in that style. Then as they came to sit on the main staircase, they listened to Lady Catherine tell them about the armoury and coats of arms. Next it was time for some music and dancing which we will be continuing with at school.
We came back together as a class to have our lunch on the picnic tables and a look in the shop for some souvenirs. The afternoon was then spent in the gardens searching for animals, vegetables and herbs to put together a banquet for Queen Elizabeth 1st. Everyone enjoyed looking through the woods and finding their way around the maze to collect all of the items. It was a wonderful way to finish off great day at Knebworth House.