Five centuries of fashion and a glimpse of life in Tudor England for Year 12 and 13

On 20 September, to help to bring our A-Level History course on the Tudors to life, Year 12 and 13 historians visited Haddon Hall, a fortified medieval Manor house, along with its Elizabethan Gardens, to learn about the life of the Vernon and Manners families who have lived there since the house was built in the 11th century.

We looked around the chapel, seeing how it changed throughout the times of religious upheaval during the reformation, including biblical paintings being whitewashed and the faces of saints and icons being destroyed.

Other parts of our visit included visiting the long gallery and the parlour, looking at how the building was extended and improved, and taking on roles for a mini-play about the family's connections to the Tudor monarchs.

The rest of our day was filled with the amazing history of 5 centuries of fashion at the 'House Style' exhibition at Chatsworth House. Seeing the development of trends in jewellery, royal gowns and wedding dresses showed the glamorous lifestyle the previous owners of the house enjoyed everyday, and highlighted the Tudors' expression of wealth through colour!

The trip was a great day out and has helped us see the lives of the figures we study in school from a different perspective.

Megan Jones, Year 13