One trip, two accounts. The recent History trip to London was reviewed by two Lower VI History students – Hana and Siena.
Hana
On 11 January, the A Level History students went on a trip to London to further our knowledge and understanding of the Tudor period, specifically the complex relationship between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.
After arriving in London via train, the first place we visited was the magnificent Westminster Abbey. Filled with rich history, we explored the intricate sculptures and tombs, admiring the skill and splendour of the designs that reflected the power these two women held in a time predominantly led by men. To me, this served to emphasise the importance of these two women and the respect accorded to them in British history.
A factor that was personally interesting to me was that Mary Queen of Scots, some would argue the lesser of these two women, was commemorated with a larger tomb than Elizabeth I. Commonly remembered as a traitor, it’s easy to forget that as cousins when Mary first fled to England in 1568, Elizabeth welcomed her and they attempted to meet before the plan was shut down by their advisers. I felt that Elizabeth’s guilt came through in the form of this tomb to respect Mary as Elizabeth’s closest living family and a member of royalty.
Following this after a small break for lunch, we travelled across London to visit the British Library and their exhibition: ‘Elizabeth and Mary, Royal Cousins, Rival Queens. This exhibition formed the most interesting and engaging experience of the trip from which I learnt a lot.
Breaking down these women’s troublesome relationship through their own words displayed in the forms of contemporary writing, which dominated English and Scottish politics for decades, revealed the conflict surrounding the two and the battle they fought for dynastic prevalence. It covered their intricate tale in detail, supported with portraits, interactive audio and more.
Thank you to the History department for planning this trip to enable us to further enrich our knowledge of Tudor history further!
Siena
On Tuesday 11 January, Miss Burrows and Mr Hawkins took me and the other Lower VI Historians to London for the day, a trip we were all looking forward to, and it did not disappoint! We arrived at Paddington and walked to Westminster Abbey, taking in the sights as we looked around, Big Ben and Parliament to name a few.
We embarked on a self-guided tour around the Abbey and were amazed by not only the beauty and intricacy of the tombs but also the wide range of important historical figures that lay there including Henry VII, Edward the Confessor and Stephen Hawking. At this point in the day sustenance was needed, McDonald’s was enjoyed and then we focused our attention on the next event, the British Library.
We were lucky enough to visit the ‘Elizabeth and Mary, Royal Cousins, Rival Queens’ exhibition, a greatly enriching and fascinating experience! We left feeling our knowledge had been improved and enhanced;was a very successful excursion.
It was highly refreshing to strengthen our understanding and stimulate our knowledge in a fun and engaging way, and overall everyone thoroughly enjoyed the great day out!