West Stow Trip

Visit to Strangers Hall

Strangers Hall Trip

On Thursday 26th November, Year 4 went on a Tudor trip to Strangers Hall. Strangers Hall is a Tudor building that is over 500 years old.

When we got there, they sat us down and introduced us to Lady Anne, Thomas Sotherton, Bess and Lettis.

First Bess did some weaving with us, we were in a small education room. In her act, she was a Tudor lady who hated strangers and was married to a tailor. She explained types of fabric to us. Then we made a weaving square.

Learning to weave on a weaving square

Learning how the Tudors dressed

Secondly, we tried on some clothes and solved some problems. Lettis gave us some really hard problems to solve. After that we tried some clothes on. Some of us were poor and some of us were rich Tudors. Then we played a little game about the clothes we were wearing.

Trying on some of the Tudor costumes (very smart!)

Next was lunch. Everybody squealed in excitement! We were allowed a list of typical Tudor food. (Jellied eels wasn't too popular!) Everybody preferred gingerbread and jam tarts of course! We had half an hour to eat our lunch and go to the toilet, however, there was only one toilet for both genders as the other was broken, which wasn't good news......

After lunch, we laid and cleared away a table for a feast and sorted some Tudor objects out. Although the disgusting bit was learning about how Tudors sucked bird brains from their beaks, it was good fun and made us laugh.

Last, but by no means least, Lady Anne showed us Tudor skipping dances. First we did a warm up, which was a bizarre dance where we held hands and skipped round in a complicated way! We got a partner each for our main dance. We skipped forward 1, 2, 3, 4, back 2, 3, 4. It was so much fun! Lots of adults helped out, like Bella, Alexander Sandcraft's mum, and Mel, Jack Pinkney's mum.

Learning to dance, Tudor style!

Unfortunately the day was coming to an end and we were so sad. Lady Anne, Thomas Sotherton, Lettis and Bess thanked us for coming and experiencing Tudor lives.