A selection of items that provide some context for three significant periods of Basing House.

Norman period - when the first stone house was built on the site following the invasion. The helmet draws discussion about warfare and the need to build defendable houses.

Tudor period and the hight of Basing House grandeur - focus on prestige of the house and royal visitors. Items such as money, falconry hoods, royal bosses etc help create an impression of what life was like for the family. 

War of Three Kingdoms (English Civil War) - Evidence of siege and warfare, allowing the children to think about what happened to the house and why it is now in ruins.