Education
Gold Hill Museum collaborates with Shaftesbury Abbey Museum to offer an education programme and activities for school-age children relevant to our local historical past and in harmony with the school curriculum. The museum has a fine collection of material relating to the long and interesting history of Shaftesbury, and a purpose-built space for accommodating school groups.
We offer workshop sessions with hands-on activities including artefact handling, for the following topics:
Romans
Saxons and Vikings (including a Saxon walk)
Tudors
Victorians
We also have loan boxes which you may borrow for half a term for the same topics.
If you have a particular topic you would like us to cover, please get in touch so we can make a plan together. In the past we have done various bespoke workshops including toys, “Being a Historian”, historic textiles and prehistory. The workshops are cross-curricular, as we bring in a variety of sources and activities to maximise their learning potential.
Gold Hill Museum and Shaftesbury Abbey are offering all their school workshops free of charge for the current academic year (2022-2023). We can arrange visits at the museums or in school. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements and to arrange a visit, in the first instance contacting enquiries@goldhillmuseum.org.uk or telephoning 01747 852157
Practicalities
• We are open for pre-booked school groups throughout the year
• We can accommodate a maximum of 35 children at any one time
• We encourage you to bring lots of adult helpers
• Loan boxes are free to borrow, but we ask for a returnable deposit to cover any losses
• Pre-visits: you are welcome to come on a pre-visit to check the facilities, and do your risk assessment (by prior appointment)
• If the weather is bad, we are usually able to offer inside space for children to eat their packed lunches
For medieval life, archaeology and the history of Shaftesbury Abbey please contact office@shaftesburyabbey.org.uk who will be happy to help you organise a visit to the Abbey.
