Year Five’s trip to the Ancient House Museum

Year Five visited the Ancient House museum in Thetford to explore the town’s historical connection with an Indian prince, Maharajah Duleep Singh, a former resident of Elvedon Hall. As part of their studies on Sikhism, they enjoyed a carousel of activities throughout the day, including a walk to two contrasting town statues, a talk on the life of the Maharajah and his links to Elvedon Hall, and an opportunity to speak with the Maharajah’s ‘housekeeper’, who allowed the children to handle some original artefacts of the time, as well as grind spices and roll chapattis. A talk by a costumed soldier also gave each group a fascinating insight into the Anglo-Sikh wars, with a live demonstration of the firing of a rifle concluding the day with a gunpowder charged bang!

Thank you to the museum staff for hosting such an interesting and enjoyable day for us!