Tutbury Castle

As the coach drew through the narrow stone gate, the children prepared themselves for a day of creative rejuvenation. Inside the mysterious building, the children were greeted by the incredible Lesley Smith. She greeted the children and introduced the castle and its legendary history. Filling the children with incredible language and excitement, we journeyed up a winding staircase to a haunted room. Or so they said.

The walls were adorned with: luscious robes, tapestries, silks, armour, weaponry and Ellie. The children were told that the seven year old ghost often visits new guests whilst wearing a white shift. She has pale hair and is often heard laughing as she holds hands, pulls fingers, removes rings and causes electric pulses in your arm if she touches you. Unsurprisingly, we were on high alert.

After a morning of sword holding and delicious, descriptive exercises, the children roamed the land, finding hundreds of years of names carved into the wall. Beneath the ground, they enter a torture chamber and witness new instruments. A guide describes the sounds that would frequent these halls. On our return to the room (and Ellie) we were greeted by the ghost of Mary Queen of Scots. She regales the children of her past, her history. At every turn, the children were encouraged to write and absorb her knowledge. Pages later, Mary disappeared. The children were now tasked with writing a flavoursome paragraph, detailing Mary’s demise. Amongst the scratching of pens, the floorboards creek until there is sudden knock. As we left the castle, most sighed in relief that Ellie had yet to show herself. The children left with a renewed confidence in language and how exciting, rich and savoury words can be.