A kids day out Horrible Histories-style that won't break the bank

South Wales Argus

a day ago

The word "oubliette" is a gift to anyone trying to make history thrilling for kids. Exotic and mysterious, it rolls off the tongue like a spell: oo-blee-ET.
It comes from the French "oublier," meaning "to forget," and was used to describe hidden vertical dungeons where prisoners were dropped and left to rot. No doors, no windows, just a pit of despair, said to be a bit like Swansea!
Though Chepstow and Caldicot Castles do not have archaeological evidence of oubliettes, they do have shadowy alcoves, spiral stairs disappearing into gloom, trapdoors you swear lead somewhere creepier than Port Talbot, if that's possible.
To hook kids into medieval grimness, all you need is a dark corner or a pit and a question like: 'What do you think they used it for?' Lean into the mystery, because sometimes, legend and suggestion can be better than truth.
Chepstow Castle (Image: NQ)
If you're guiding kids on a Horrible Histories-style day out, you can absolutely lean into the mystery. Add a little theatrical gasp, and you've got them hooked.
Here's a "Route of Grim" for a Horrible Histories day out in Gwent, with added facts for kids to research:
Chepstow Castle: Start with tales of its most famous prisoner, the Regicide, Sir Henry Marten. Explore the towers and ask kids to spot 'the ghostly prisoner.' Don't forget to mention the phantom onion smells. Creepy and hilarious. Tintern Abbey: Ruined by Henry VIII, it's full of secret burials and ghostly monks. Tell the story of the disabled woman and two children buried in the cloisters, a real archaeological find. Caldicot Castle: Again, no oubliette, but plenty of ghost hunts and tales of Lady Alianore de Bohun watching from the battlements. The keep's dark corners and winding stairs are perfect for 'what if' stories. Blaenavon Ironworks: Kids worked here in dangerous furnaces. Nearby, the cholera cemetery shows how disease spread through grim industrial towns. Blaenavon's Big Pit: Don't forget to mention squeaky noises that children who worked in the dark as 'trappers' would have heard – the rats, the only companions of little children working the doors. Newport Medieval Ship: A 15th-century ship abandoned mid-repair. Ask: 'Did someone forget it… like an oubliette for boats?'
Big Pitt (Image: NQ)
Here's a horrid history scavenger hunt that won't hurt your pocket: Horrible Histories Scavenger Hunt, Gwent Edition:
Find a door that leads to nowhere - was it once a prison entrance? Spot a carving of a face in stone - is it watching or warning? Count how many steps lead down into darkness - who might've walked them last? Search for bones or grave markers - what story might they tell? Listen quietly: can you hear dripping water or distant whispers? Find a barred window or iron ring on a wall - prisoner leftovers? Snap a photo of the spookiest shadow - where does it fall? Ask a guide or adult what their creepiest castle tale is - then retell it better. Don't forget Caerleon!
Four fun facts to get them started on research: