Key Stage 3 History
Key stage 3 history will introduce you to local history especially if there are medieval buildings in your area.
If you live near old buildings such as in London, Southampton, Leicester, Nottingham, York, Durham, find out the history of your local medieval buildings.
Consider where and why medieval buildings were sited: next to water, by main roads, on raised ground. What was the building used for: living accommodation, storage of food, public uses such as a market cross and corn exchange?
Who owned the building: one family, the king or a senior noble, a merchant, a farmer, a community?
What materials were used to make the building: wood, bricks, stone. Where did the building materials come from and how were they transported to the site?
If you are fortunate enough to live near a cathedral or medieval church find out as much as you can about the process of construction and conservation of the building.
Why do we spend lots of money preserving old buildings instead of demolishing them and re-using the material for modern buildings?
English Heritage website has information on hundreds of old buildings.
Historic Buildings and Places works to sustain, defend and promote all aspects of the built historic environment.
The Churches Conservation Trust website allows you to search for 15th century churches.
This website has a page of places to visit and the Richard III Society website provides a list of places in England associated with him.
Your Task
Make a visitors’ guide to medieval buildings in your local area. In your guide explain how to find them and what their use was in the 15th century.
Describe any interesting feature of each building.
Include your own images if you can pay a visit to any building or ruin.
British History Online has a advice on local history