TRINKETS & WARES

A catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance. During the Medieval period, when castles and fortified walled cities were common catapults were used as a key siege weapon against them. Catapults were...

On 15th June 1215, the English barons forced King John to seal under oath the Magna Carta (Great Charter) at Runnymede, near Windsor. This document itemized the barons' complaints and intended reforms. Neither side complied with the Magna Carta's...

The lion and tiger are the largest members of the cat family. They live about 20-25 years in captivity and 15 - 20 years in the wild. Lions are found in Africa and in the forests of India. Most lions live in national parks and areas called reserves where...

The Vikings were seafaring people from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In texts such as the Icelandic sagas, the phrase 'to go Viking' implies participation in a raiding activity or piracy. The Viking Age in European history was from the late 8th to the...

The Vikings were seafaring people from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In texts such as the Icelandic sagas, the phrase 'to go Viking' implies participation in a raiding activity or piracy. The Viking Age in European history was from the late 8th to the...

The word knight means 'mounted warrior'. By the 100s a code of chivalry had been developed by which knights were expected to live. A knight was expected to defend his Christian faith, to behave honourably towards his enemies and to protect the weak and...

The Keep Calm and Carry On poster was initially produced by the Ministry of Information, in 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War. It was intended to be distributed in order to strengthen morale of the British public in the event of invasion...

The first invaders of England were the Celts, who began crossing the English Channel around 500 BC. The Celts, a warlike people, were divided into various tribes. Celtic artists used combinations of curved lines, spirals and interlaced patterns, which...

Celtic artists worked with stone, wood, metal and paint in a style characterized by its abstract nature, balance of form, delicacy, brightness of colour and most of all by its spirals and interlacing. Prior to the advent of Christianity in Britain this...

The horse is a sizeable mammal and is one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. It has long played an important role in transport, whether ridden or used for pulling a chariot, carriage, horse-drawn boat, stagecoach, tram or plough. They have...

The horse is a sizeable mammal and is one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. It has long played an important role in transport, whether ridden or used for pulling a chariot, carriage, horse-drawn boat, stagecoach, tram or plough. They have...

This shield shaped key-ring is decorated with three heraldic lions. It is a replica of a medieval pendant that would have been gilded and enameled. These pendants were worn on the harnesses of horses as decoration. The heraldic lions shield is made from...