Step Back in Time at Blists Hill Victorian Village, England
Immerse yourself in British history and the Victorian way of life
At Blists Hill Victorian Village in Shropshire, the streets are alive with people playing out roles as Victorian Villagers. Change your money at the bank to old pounds, shillings and pence. Now you can go shopping! Among the first shops you come to is the chemist, which once featured on the BBC’s Victorian Pharmacy programme.
Go inside and you can buy soaps and other bits and pieces, as well as see some of the ancient remedies on the shelves and in the pharmacist’s working area. Among the exhibits was a cyanide compound and I asked the lady what this was supposed to cure. Unfortunately, I caught her on her first day and she didn’t know!
Carry on down and you pass the pub on the way to the printers. Be sure to call back to the pub to see the local ‘Victorians’ performing their song and dance routine whilst one of them plays the piano in the bar.
The printer will show you how he works the machinery and how he solves the problem when the ink starts to leach onto the wrong place. Here you can buy postcards and posters including one that reads, “Fed up of your Stupid Parents harassing you? Take Action! Move out, get a job, and pay your own bills”.
If you arrive on a Sherlock Holmes Weekend, you may encounter Sherlock and Watson playing out the story of the missing violin. Don’t sit too close to the front or you might end up being the ‘volunteer’ who has to hide it under your jacket, and is later asked to play the violin in front of an expectant audience! The characters really embrace their roles and it is highly entertaining. Here’s the drapery — a beautiful shop!
The best role play, however, is the school maam. Check when you arrive what time the school lesson takes place as you really shouldn’t miss it. The schoolmistress is really scary! You will be reprimanded for not queuing straight, not standing straight, having dirty nails (even if they’re not), writing with your left hand, and forgetting what you have just been taught.
Remember there is a test. You will be asked to ‘repeat after me’ and then you will be expected to know the answers to: the date the Iron Bridge was built; how many tonnes of iron were used; and how much it cost. Were you listening?
Near the school is a Victorian fairground with a horse carousel, swing boats, and a coconut shy. You can take a ride on the hill lift or the miner’s train, both can be found across the common.
If you head back towards the town, then you will come across the Estates office, the bakery, and the Doctor’s surgery.
You can buy fresh bread in the bakery but be warned they usually run out in the afternoon. Wind your way through the streets and call in on the candle maker who will show you her candle dipping process and explain how her trade is one of the best paying trades going.
They sold thousands of candles every week in Victorian times because there was no electricity. The candles were made from animal fat, which smelt bad, but it made the candlemakers rich. That is why the term ‘stinking rich’ was coined.
The villagers lead a self-sustained lifestyle with fruit and vegetables growing all over the place, chickens in the pub garden and pigs for meat — although I think they are a visitor attraction really.
More from me…
- Exploring Britain’s Sacred Landscapes
- Explore The Estate Where The New Cinderella Movie Was Filmed
- Cornwall, England — In Pictures
Would you like to read unlimited articles on Medium? It costs $5 per month. Use my referral link to sign up, and you’ll support me directly with a portion of your fee, at no extra cost to yourself.
