Adaptable Travel's Best Literary Visits
Is your group out of the classroom this World Book Day? Fear not!
We’ve compiled a list of our best literary trips and visits across the UK and Ireland, to make sure wherever you are you can get in the World Book Day spirit. Keep reading to see if your school trip location has made the list, and what to expect from these fantastic experiences.
London
School trips to London are a fantastic way to expose your students to immersive experiences and inspire them to bring that energy back to the classroom. Theatre trips are scattered with hidden gems of literary staples. Our favourite World Book Day inspired visits in London are:
The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
Who hasn’t been transported into a world of “pure imagination” by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, befriended a larger than life gentle giant with the BFG and tried to awaken any hidden powers akin to Matilda’s? There’s something timeless about the sheer works of brilliance to come from this magnificent author, still felt amongst children and students almost 60 years since his first children’s novel was published. It simply wouldn’t be World Book Day without a celebration of this brilliant author, and what more fitting than a visit to the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. This award-winning museum features three fantastic interactive galleries, including Roald Dahl's writing Hut where decades of magic were brought to life. Students can explore Dahl’s writing methods, step into the pages of Matilda with literacy workshops in Miss Honey’s classroom and take part in hands-on activities. This museum is truly one of wonder and magic, suited towards students of ages 7-14, promising to be an inspiring and nostalgic experience for all students!
Shakespeare’s Globe
The works of William Shakespeare have been a staple in Literacy based curriculums across the world for a long time, with all students being familiar with his famous plays, sonnets and poems. Why not treat your students to an utterly unique experience at the reconstruction of his famous Globe Theatre in London. This reconstructed build is the first building allowed to have a thatched roof since the Great Fire of London in 1666, so it will transport students back in time with a unique accuracy which they are unlikely to have experienced elsewhere. Your group will be able to experience guided tours of the building itself as well as pay a visit to the museum. This experience endeavours to make the works of Shakespeare accessible to everyone. While you are there, why not stay to experience a production of one of Shakespeare’s famous works, as it would have been performed in the original Globe Theatre during Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Stratford-Upon-Avon is not only the birthplace of one of the greatest and undoubtedly the most famous playwrights of all time, William Shakespeare. This gloriously quaint town is home to over 800 years of history, authentic buildings from Elizabethan and Jacobean eras and a wealth of attractions and visits to engage your students.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
It’s not easy for students to envision the world that William Shakespeare lived and worked in, luckily, students don’t have to rely on their imagination alone, they can experience it for themselves! A visit to Shakespeare’s birthplace is a chance for your students to trace the footsteps of the famed playwright and take a glimpse into the world where he slept, took meals and spent his youth as well as many years of his marriage to Anne Hathaway. This amazing experience doesn’t have to stop there, with extended tours available, which continue to transport students back in time. Visit Mary Arden’s farm, Halls Croft, Anne Hathaway’s cottage and Nashes house and New Place, Shakespeare’s final residence.
Royal Shakespeare Company Tour & Workshop
Bring Shakespeare to life for your students with one of these fantastic workshops and theatrical experiences. Here at Adaptable Travel, we love finding new and exciting ways to bring subjects and topics to life for students. We can arrange for groups to experience a range of Shakespeare’s plays, right in the heart of his home town. Royal Shakespeare Company owns several theatres in Stratford, giving you and your groups plenty to choose from to make the most out of this experience. Not only can students experience one of Shakespeare’s classic works, but modern and contemporary twists bring his work into the modern age. Giving your students an unforgettable experience and an opportunity to appreciate the works of a truly great literary figure.
Dublin
Dublin is undoubtedly a cultural and historical hub with mountains of enriching experiences for your students. The capital of Ireland, it is part of Ireland’s rich history as well as being a modern city filled with educational, theatrical, literary, and artistic experiences. Dublin has blessed us with many prominent names within literature such as Oscar Wilde and the creator of Dracula, one of the most famous works in the world, Bram Stoker. Take your students on an amazing exploration of this truly wonderful city and see them walk the same cobblestones as these great figures!
Dublin Writers Museum
This impressive museum is housed in a beautiful 18th-century mansion in the North of the city centre. Not only will students marvel at the grandeur of the building, but the visit is a must for budding linguists and students with an interest in literature. A wonderful collection spanning 300 years the Dublin Writers Museum features literary works, letters, personal possessions and portraits representing the lives of many famous writers. Provide your students with the opportunity to explore Dublin’s impressive literary history and get an insight into the lives of their favourite literary talents, and those famous for their historical impact on literature. Swift, Sheridan, Wilde, Yeats, Joyce and Beckett are only a hand full of those exhibited, so you can be sure that your students will leave with a deeper understanding, appreciation and interest in literature and the powerful talents behind the words.
Are you exploring any of these fantastic destinations and visits this World Book Day? We’d love to see you in the World Book Day spirit, #AdaptableTravel on social media to let us know!
Don’t forget to enter our World Book Day Competition and submit images of you and your class celebrating World Book Day wherever you are!
If you’ve been searching for the perfect destinations for enrichment trips or school trips for your English or Performance Arts students and would like to hear more get in touch with us at Adaptable Travel today.