Presenting the Past
Hillsborough Castle requires conservation but also needs to be open and accessible for all to share in its future. How would you balance, the sometimes conflicting, demands on the site? What stories would you tell?
Key stage 3
Subject: History, Language and Literacy
Topic: Preservation and conservation of a local site
Session type: Route-based
Politics, Power and the Path to Peace
Hillsborough Castle has been a place inextricably linked to the politics of the day since it was built in Georgian times. Uncover the pivotal role it has played in modern Northern Irish history.
Key stage 4 and Key stage 5
Subject: Politics, History
Topic: Government and Politics of Northern Ireland
Session type: Route-based and classroom-based
Textiles, Patterns & Design
Explore Hillsborough Castle's collection of art and objects to gather inspiration for students to create their own historically-inspired textile designs.
Key stage 4 and Key stage 5
Subject: Art and Design
Topic: Printmaking, Surface Design, Textiles
Session type: Route-based and classroom-based
Surveying Biodiversity
Uncover semi-natural, natural and made habitats in the gardens at Hillsborough Castle. Learn to use a range of survey equipment to collect, record and compare the results. Please note that this session does not include access to the house.
Key stage 3
Subject: Science, Biology, Geography
Topic: Biodiversity, Fieldwork
Session type: Gardens-based
The Origins of Northern Ireland - From Plantation to Present Day
Uncover the origins and evolution of Northern Ireland through this guided tour of Hillsborough Castle. Intrinsically linked to the politics of the day since it was built as a fort to garrison the road to Dublin, changes in the use of Hillsborough Castle mirror those in the political landscape of Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Key stage 3
Subject: Environment & Society: History, Language & Literacy, Citizenship, Personal & Mutual Understanding, Media Awareness
Topic: Plantation, Partition & Political Consequences
Session type: Route-based
Nurturing Nature: Mindfulness session
Join us in Hillsborough Castle’s gardens to relax, enjoy nature, and learn how to be in the present moment. Learn and practice some simple mindfulness techniques to help improve and support your pupils’ wellbeing, anytime and anywhere!
Key stage 3 to Key stage 5
Curriculum Links: Learning for Life & Work: Personal Development Topic: Wellbeing
Session Type: Outdoor - Gardens
![The Lost Garden Boardwalk, showing a top shot of a group of schoolchildren on the Imaginary Menagerie trail.
The Imaginary Menagerie is a play trail throughout the Castle's gardens. Opened in June 2021, it takes visitors on an adventure course that includes a series of sculptures celebrating the pets and wildlife that have made Hillsborough their home.
[See also: asset no.53796 for the Booklet guide].](https://hrp.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fhistoricroyalpalaces.picturepark.com%2Fv%2F7UIFP5y8?auto=format&s=9b25fbd417f27142c2e931b337506f8d)
Tackling Climate Change: A local study
Become a climate consultant and learn about the global & local effects of climate change through an exploration of Hillsborough Castle’s gardens. Uncover the challenges, think about solutions, and learn how Hillsborough Castle & Gardens is tackling the impacts of a changing climate.
Key stage 3
Curriculum Links: Environment & Society (Geography), Communication, Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
Topic: Climate Change
Session Type: Classroom Based & Outdoor - Gardens