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Led by the English Department, Year 8 had a wonderfully gothic day at Strawberry Hill House, the birthplace of Gothic fiction!

During a tour of the historic house, students found secret doors, channelled Horace Walpole's spirit with readings of his approach to the gloomth of the stairwells, and reenacted scenes from The Castle of Otranto. Students designed their own Gothic comics, dressing up to create stories of murder and mystery. In the Gothic Creations session, Dr. Who's Weeping Angels illustrated the elements of Gothic Literature.

Students wrote their own versions of Isabella's fate in The Castle of Otranto as she attempts to escape the clutches of Manfred, the evil Lord. Can she escape? Or will she remain stuck in the castle…

“The thought of that wretched man made her gag. His evil blue eyes glowed on the other side of the narrow corridor. She held up her soft pink and white dress as her polished shoes clacked on the wooden floor to the nearest door – hoping it opened up. To her surprise, the door led to a room with golden patterns curled on the ceiling and family paintings dotted along the walls. This was her only chance to escape.”  - Tilly R.

“She knew she wasn’t safe. Suddenly, a portrait fell, leaving her to freeze in her tracks. She turned. No one was there, Isabella kept running as horror sank into her mind and soul, she was stuck in a corner. Isabella was locked in a corridor, all doors locked. But how could this be? Isabella panicked and used all her strength to break down the corridor door, her arm bleeding and blistered, it felt as if a stone statue was blocking the door. Isabella heard the thunder of Manfred’s voice, but no one was there. Her mouth began to bleed and her nose, then her ears. She began to hear scraping. She saw a man from one of the portraits walk toward her. Isabella disappeared into a corner, the portrait man getting closer and closer…” - Maya B.