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Historic Buildings: Norman Castles Video

Wren and Raven Investigate!

Format: Video

Join the ghost of Christopher Wren and his friend Raven as they investigate Tudor buildings across the UK - from royal palaces to local houses.

In this episode, students will discover the key features of a Norman castle including arch shaped windows, crenellations and indoor toilets! They'll also discover what happened in 1066 and why there are so many Norman castles across the UK.

Perfect for KS1 and KS2, this video supports pupils to:

  • look closely at the buildings around them
  • recognise how buildings change over time
  • identify key architectural features
  • understand that buildings are historical evidence we can use to learn about the past.

Resource Information

Key Stage

  • KS1 (age 5-7)
  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • Home Educators

Subjects

  • History
  • Geography

Topic

  • Medieval
  • Historic Environment
  • Castles

Type

  • Videos

Palace

  • Tower of London

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This video can be used before a school trip to a Norman castle or a local history walk to highlight features to spot.

It also helps pupils understand that buildings are historical sources.

Supporting resources

Logo with a green, red and blue horizontal pattern.

The Wren and Raven video series was developed with support from the team at Historic England.

This graph reveals how many prisoners were held at the Tower of London during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Key Stage

  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • KS3 (age 11-14)
  • KS4 (age 15-16)
  • KS5 (age 16+)

Subject

  • History

Topic

  • Crime & Punishment
  • Tudors
  • Elizabethans

What was it like moving to Tudor England?   Step back in time and uncover the journey of Catalina of Motril, an enslaved woman who moved to England with a famous queen.  

Key Stage

  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • KS3 (age 11-14)
  • KS4 (age 15-16)
  • KS5 (age 16+)
  • Home Educators

Subject

  • History

Topic

  • Tudors
  • Diverse Histories

This free, editable activity pack introduces children to each queen as a historical figure in her own right - going beyond the familiar rhyme of “divorced, beheaded, died”. It includes fact sheets, colouring, drawing and research activities.

Key Stage

  • KS1 (age 5-7)
  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • Home Educators
  • International Schools

Subject

  • History

Topic

  • Tudors