As part of their studies of Tudor England, Plymouth College AS students spent two busy days in London visiting key Tudor sites and meeting leading historians.
The first highlight was an opportunity to examine first-hand five hundred-year-old documents at the National Archives, including letters written by Queen Mary, Henry VIII's will and the document that had to be present in the monarch's absence to symbolise their presence at a meeting.
Students then travelled across London to Hampton Court, commandeered by Henry VIII as an official home. Here, students cross-examined Queen Mary before touring the exhibits and state rooms and exploring the maze.
The second day saw an early start for the Tower of London where students explored the various exhibitions, including the crown jewels, Tudor armour & weaponry and the wild beasts that Henry VIII kept at the Tower, such as a polar bear that was tied to the Tower and allowed to fish in the Thames!
The visit concluded with talks by three leading historians, not least Dr John Guy of Cambridge University, who examined the state of the nation in the 1560s.
The trip was a great success and will now become an annual event for all Lower Sixth historians.
