Henry VIII's visit to Gainsborough Old Hall

Located in the market town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Gainsborough Old Hall is one of the finest and most complete medieval manor houses in the country. The kitchen remains virtually unchanged since the house was first built around 1460. Throughout its history, Gainsborough Old Hall has received many prestigious guests including Richard III, Henry VIII and his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, the Pilgrim Fathers worshipped here before setting sail to America and John Wesley, founder of Methodism preached to townsfolk here.

Gainsborough Old Hall is renowned for its education programme and holds the Sanford award for Heritage Education. School visits mainly focus around King Henry VIII’s visit in 1541. Supporting the National Curriculum at Key Stage 2 History, this lively programme offers pupils the chance to learn about many aspects of life in Tudor times through hands-on experience.

Key Stage 2
Breadth Study: Unit 10: Britain and the wider world in Tudor times
QCA schemes of work:
Unit 7: Why did Henry VIII marry six times?
Unit 8: What were the differences between the lives of rich and poor Tudor times?
Unit 19: What were the effects of Tudor exploration?
The "Knowledge, Skills and Understanding" for KS2 are developed in the following ways:
Increase pupils' knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past.
Require pupils to develop their organisation and communication skills.
The whole approach is one of historical enquiry.

Through images and activities this package allows teachers and KS2 pupils to make comparisons between rich and poor people. The information is based upon Henry VIII's visit to Gainsborough Old Hall in 1541.

Wollaton Hall learning package:
For more information about the lives of rich and poor in Tudor times click here