Medieval Days

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Schools are invited to visit The Canterbury Tales visitor attraction this November to experience life as a pilgrim in Medieval England.

The Canterbury Tales is hosting Medieval Theme Days to give school children a unique opportunity to have a ‘hands on’ learning experience to compliment their classroom studies. Children will take part in a workshop to learn all about life as a pilgrim before taking their very own pilgrimage through The Canterbury Tales where they will journey with some of Chaucer’s most famous character’s and listen to their tales of chivalry, desire and greed.

In the hour long workshop children will learn about many aspects of being a pilgrim. They will listen to entertaining and informative stories of why such adventurous journeys were taken, the dangers of being a pilgrim, what a medieval traveller would wear, eat and drink and how they would be cured from common medieval diseases. For a more hands on experience children will be given the chance to try on some medieval clothes, grind flour, learn games and play with toys of the era.

In addition to the workshop children will visit The Canterbury Tales and take an audio guided pilgrimage of their own from London to the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. On their journey 5 of Chaucer’s most famous tales are told including the Wife of Bath’s Tale and the Miller’s Tale. The Canterbury Tales is a stunning recreation of Medieval England complete with sights, sounds and smells giving children the chance to really immerse themselves into life in the Middle Ages and appreciate how a pilgrimage would have been undertaken over 800 years ago.

The Visit

Your visit will compromise of 2 sections:

A 1 hour workshop

• Learn about the dangers and joys of making a pilgrimage

• Try on medieval clothes and find out about what a pilgrim would have worn

• Grind flour and take home recipes whilst discovering what a pilgrim would have eaten

• Hear about horrid cures and stories of medicine, surgery and the Black Death

• Find out about children in Chaucer’s time…play medieval games and see medieval toys

An audio guided tour of The Canterbury Tales

• Accompany Chaucer’s colourful characters on their journey from the Tabard Inn in London to the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

• Listen to 5 of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales:

• The Knight’s Tale

• The Miller’s Tale

• The Wife of Bath’s Tale

• The Nun’s Priest’s Tale

• The Pardoner’s Tale

• Experience a 40 minute pilgrimage complete with sights, sounds and smells of Medieval England.

Your visit will cost £6.50 per child and £6.75 per adult. We will offer 1 free ticket for a teacher for every 5 children that visit.

Please leave 2-2.5 hours for your full visit.

Children are encouraged to dress in medieval clothes for their visit.

To Book

To book please call our Group Bookings Team:

Contacts: Becky Ruston – Group Reservations Officer or David Brown – Reservations Assistant
Telephone: 0845 070 6255
Email: contact us

More information

Click here to download our Group Organiser Guide containing our Risk Assessment

Click here to download our Education Pack

Terms and Conditions

• Theme days available from 23rd-27th November. Workshops available from 10am-3pm.

• Schools must pre-book by calling the Group Bookings Office.

• Minimum 15 people per booking.

• A FREE Risk assessment, Education Pack and Guide Book are available for each school.

• For full Terms and Conditions of Visiting please click here.

The Canterbury Tales, St. Margaret's Street, Canterbury, Kent
Tel: 01227 479227

©2009