By Mrs Whomsley (Head of Year 5)

Last week, Year 5 visited our local Bedford Archives to discover more about maps and other documents to gain a deeper understanding of how travel and life was documented.

The Archives are full of fascinating information from the past and the girls were so excited to see the range of maps held and learn from the Archivists’ expertise. From the beautiful decorative maps to display local landowners’ wealth to more practical, usable maps that reflect the maps we may use today, the visit gave the pupils a real insight into the progression of maps in their purpose and depth of information.  We also gained an insight into how the maps were made and how they are now protected so that future generations can enjoy looking at them.

A further highlight of our visit was a large book of illustrations from Captain Cook’s last two voyages, which the girls found particularly interesting having learnt about different explorers, including Cook, at the start of our Unit of Inquiry. This was a huge book full of detailed drawings to document life and discoveries made during his explorations. We were also impressed with a map that measured over 10 metres long. After our visit, we left with a greater understanding of the history of maps but with many more questions to further our inquiry into exploration!