Royalty at the Raleigh
March was a month of excitement at The Raleigh School as pupils enthusiastically participated in a pastry competition forming part of the Hampton Court Palace Tudor Festival. West Horsley Place was delighted to organise and fund this wonderful opportunity, enabling every child to craft a salt dough pie lid befitting a king – none other than King Henry VIII himself!
To set the scene for this unique event, staff members from Jane’s Historic Kitchen, dressed as Tudor cooks, visited each class at The Raleigh School. They shared the fascinating story of how, in 1533, King Henry VIII gifted West Horsley Place to his cousin, Henry Courtenay. The children were transported back in time and invited by these ‘Tudor cooks’ to design and create an elaborate pastry lid, as though contributing to a grand feast for the King’s arrival. The cooks were keen to discover the best and most creative pastry lids to prepare for His Majesty’s visit.
The excitement reached its peak when King Henry stepped into the school to judge the children’s impressive creations, selecting a winner from each class. Pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1 who were chosen as winners enjoyed a memorable morning at West Horsley Place, where they explored the historic fifteenth-century manor house and its 380-acre estate. The experience included traditional butter churning and bread making in the atmospheric Tudor Stone Kitchen.
Meanwhile, the Key Stage 2 winners will look forward to their forthcoming visit to Hampton Court Palace on 25th June. There, they will immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of King Henry VIII’s court, exploring the gardens and enjoying demonstration tents, performances, and encounters with captivating historical characters.
