Type: School Trip Destinations

Introduction for school trips and educational visits

Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum is the only remaining steam driven brickworks in the country. Dating back to 1890s we can show the rise of industrialization in the Victorian period and the move from small estate brickworks through to machinery turning out 20 million bricks a year.

The museum is a work in progress with new exhibits and restoration projects always being undertaken by our skilled volunteers.

We are situated 10 acres of land with plenty of parking and space for activities both inside and out. One mile away are the old clay pits, now Swanwick Nature Reserve and a little further is Bursledon Windmill, a working flour mill.

We are all happy to work together to create interesting and varied days out.

Why is this venue great for School Trips and Educational Visits?

Quirky and different we encourage our visitors to get involved; you can touch most of our exhibits! Favourite activities include making a brick, the miniature trains and working with bricks.

This is a museum with a difference. Our educational visits span a wide age range from primary school through to university students. We can organize simple museum visits or complex learning sessions covering all kinds of traditional building techniques.

We have a very large indoor events space which is flexible and can cope with a wide range of activities. We also have an indoor training area for practical building work.

For special events we can run the miniature trains and fire up the main steam driven brick making machine.

What does a typical school trip or educational visit include?

We run sessions for a wide age range of visitors from 8 to 80. Here are some typical examples:

Primary Schools.

History day – a day s.pent investigating all things Victorian but with a focus on industrialization and machinery (can be shared with the Windmill)

Maths and Science – we can design all kinds of activities but tend to base them on bricks…but they are very versatile and can be used to create towers, bridges, arches. We can look at how clay becomes brick and the story of brick making generally. Schools often combine a visit to us with a morning in the Swanwick Nature Reserve.

Secondary Schools.

Basic Heritage Building Skills – a day spent with our conservator exploring the use of lime mortars in heritage building. A real taster session with hands on experience of mixing and using lime, wattle and daub, and brick laying

Universities.

An introduction to heritage building construction – a three day course designed to give a good understanding of the basics of heritage construction including the use of lime mortars and plasters, chalk and cob, flint walling.

Museum studies – a one day visit with follow up workshop exploring the interpretation of the museum and a discussion on sustainability issues.

What size groups do they cater for?

We can cater for up to 30 for a museum visit but only 15 if it is to undertake practical building work. Sharing with either the Windmill and Swanwick Nature Reserve we can take up to 60 spending half a day at each venue.
For special events our big exhibition area can take up to 100.

What can they provide you with to support your school trip or educational visit?

We discuss each school or university’s requirements with them individually and design the sessions to fit with their curriculum activities.

Can you take photos, video or audio? Are there any copyright restrictions?

We have no problem with the taking of photos, videos or audio – in fact we encourage it! We can also host media studies sessions for those looking for an interesting location.

How do you arrange a risk assessment?

We do have risk assessments but also expect the visiting groups to take a degree of responsibility themselves.

What are the contact details for their education officer?

We are a volunteer run museum and do not have any paid staff. We have two volunteers who are actively involved in education at present but applications for more information should be made to the museum.

What does it cost?

The wide range of activities we offer makes the cost of a visit very varied. We discuss each group’s requirements with them and try to design a day that fits within their budget.

Is specific clothing required?

The site is an old industrial site and very rugged, we don’t have heating throughout the building and it gets cold – sensible footwear and warm clothes are essential.

Do you have first aid on site?

We only have basic first aid at present.

What facilities do they have for school trips and educational visits?

We have a small shop – lots of inexpensive items.
A canteen that sits approximately 40 where we can do the catering or let people bring their own food.
We have picnic table outside for the summer months.

Are there disabled facilities?

The site only has a stair lift to the first floor (large exhibition room is upstairs). Much of the museum is accessible on the ground floor but it is an old industrial site and the ground is uneven.

What are your opening days and hours?

We are closed for the winter months (December, January and February)
The museum is open on Tuesday and Thursday, 10.00 – 4.00
Other days can be catered for on occasion if there are sufficient volunteers available.

Featured Listing: No

Age of Children / Pupils:

• 5 – 7 years
• 8 – 10 years
• 11 – 13 years
• 14 – 16 years
• College
• University

Region:

• South East England

Type of visit:

• Crafts
• Factory Visits
• Heritage Railways
• Historic Buildings
• Historical Heritage
• Museums
• Science & Technology
• SEN
• Themed Attractions

Curriculum topics:

• Design and Technology
• History
• Mathematics
• Science

Months Open:

• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November

Disabled Facilities: Yes