Learning and Discovery

Highwic was built in 1862 for Alfred Buckland and his large family. It offers an insight - from dairy to drawing room - into Victorian lifestyle and technology.

Highwic offers a comprehensive choice of programmes to suit curriculum needs for all ages and stages.


  • Toymaking

    Learning about toy-making during one of the holiday programmes.

  • Playing croquet

    Try your hand at croquet.

  • Around the piano

    Around the piano at one of our "parlour parties".

  • Highwic

    Learn about a Victorian family and lifestyle at Highwic.

  • Games toys and pastimes

    Try your hand a different old-time games and pastimes.

  • Discovering Highwic's garden

    Exploring a Victorian garden.

  • Meeting the first family

    Meeting the first family of Highwic.

  • Victorian kitchen - food preparation

    Get hands-on with food preparation in the kitchen.

  • Highwic son on horseback

    Riding and horses was part of Buckland family life.

Ironing at Highwic
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Victorian Kitchen

Hands-on activities in the kitchen making butter and doing the washing in the laundry courtyard.

Any old irons: Downloadable pre and post visit activities (pdf, 307kb).

Before electricity: Downloadable pre and post visit activities (pdf, 483kb)

Food preparation: Downloadable pre and post visit activities (pdf, 332kb).

Games we played
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Games We Played

Games and activities that Victorian children took part in, and the things they played with.

Toys and pastimes: downloadable pre and post visit activities (pdf, 178kb).

Colonial family tennis
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A Colonial Family

The migration, settlement and colonisation experience of the Buckland family, a comparison between then and now.

A colonial family - a place of significance: downloadable pre and post visit activities (pdf, 198kb)

Laundry
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Meet the Family

A drama-based experience of life as a Buckland child.

To quote some of our visiting students - “what an amazing world, I don’t want to go back to the 21st century”

and teachers - “many thanks for your helpful in-role work. It is difficult for young people to imagine the constraints and differences of times gone by. The past is indeed a different country”

Meet the family - families are different: downloadable pre and post visit activities (pdf, 288kb).