On Friday 3rd May, Year 8 enjoyed a field trip to Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire. There, they explored Tudor food, architecture, and learned about William Cecil's career and the societal significance of Tudor homes.

The tour of the house included viewing neoclassical art, offering a glimpse into the historical aesthetics. They also discovered the self-sufficient nature of Burghley, with its own dairy and brewhouse, resembling a small village within the estate.

Serena (Year 8) said: “I thought the Burghley House trip was very interesting as there was so much to see and learn about. My favourite part of the trip was going on the House Tour, as it was nice to learn about the history of England and the life they would have lived in the Elizabethan and Tudor times. I also really enjoyed learning about the different food eaten at a feast and the importance of those higher up in the hierarchy. Overall, it was a very informative day and we all really learnt a lot.”

Esme (Year 8) reflected: “I really enjoyed the trip to Burghley House and was glad to be able to have some souvenirs to take home with me. I enjoyed learning about the history of the house and how the towers are meant to look like an 'E', representing Elizabeth since William Cecil made the house for her. However, since then, the generations of William Cecil have lived in the house. I really liked the kitchen. I saw the spinning hooks and cages on which certain meats were cooked. The guides told us about how the young boys sat there spinning the machines for hours till the meat was cooked, until over the years they learnt to do this automatically.”

Laura Mahoney (Year 8) added: “I really enjoyed the trip to Burghley House because I learned a lot about Elizabeth the First and her treasurer, William Cecil. I found it amazing that his descendants still own and live in the house to this day. It was very fun to hear that the show The Crown was filmed there, along with many other films. I really enjoyed hearing about the architecture of the house and how the family of William Cecil changed the original house and added on bits. It was very interesting to hear about the food they ate in Tudor times; they even ate pig ears!”