Year 3 Children from Kingswood Prep School visit St Briavel's Castle

Before half term the Year 3 children experienced their first residential, staying at St Briavel’s castle in Gloucestershire.

 

Our trip started at The Amazing Hedge puzzle in Symonds Yat, where the children, using only themselves, some string and a few cones had to employ their logical skills to work together to create their own maze. After they had mastered this, the children were let loose on the ‘real’ maze. It was a challenge to find the centre and the teachers had to be called upon to provide help from the viewing platform above the maze.  In the late afternoon we headed for the castle, which is an imposing building and still amazingly intact considering it was once a hunting lodge for King John. After unpacking their belongings into rooms named ‘the hanging room’, ‘the prison’ (and other equally delightful names) the children feasted on a medieval banquet. This consisted of homemade vegetable broth, roast chicken legs and potatoes. Then it was to bed to sleep or not, as the case may be!

 

The second day started with a ghost tour of the castle, during which we found out about the alleged resident ghosts and stared down into the castle’s dungeon. Once we had finished packing, we then made our way to our final experience, the nearby ‘ Clearwell Caves’, where we enjoyed pot holing. Some of the children were hoping that the teachers would get stuck in one of the smaller apertures. Fortunately for us, we came out unscathed!  It was a wonderful trip, which presented many challenges to overcome. The children gained in confidence and maturity a great deal over our two days away. Below are some of the children’s own thoughts about the trip.

 

“The Amazing Hedge Puzzle was a big, well trimmed, beautifully kept maze like a labyrinth.”

 Jules Hawking 3D

“The first activity (in the maze) was to discover and work out all routes to get to the middle and find our way out.”

 

“We finally arrived at St. Briavel's Castle and found our rooms. I had a wooden bunk bed and I was on top…When it was dinner time we went in and had our starter. It was funny because we only had a spoon to eat with.”

 Emma James 3R

“The caves were sandy and some tunnels were so small we had to crawl on our tummies through and some were so big we could stand up. In one of the tunnels there was drawing in paint of a spaceship.”

 Jaymie Bond 3D