Looking Back: Cures, Cloves & Curious Remedies This May Half-Term
This May half-term, The Golden Hinde welcomed families and curious minds aboard for Cures, Cloves & Curious Remedies, an immersive programme exploring the fascinating world of Tudor medicine, botany, and life at sea.
Throughout the week, visitors were invited into the Great Cabin, which had been transformed by the ship's team into the working space of the ship's Botanist. Filled with herbs, spices, medicinal ingredients and botanical specimens, the atmospheric setting offered the perfect backdrop for a lively, story-led journey into sixteenth-century medicine.
Led by the ship's Botanist, the interactive talks explored how sailors attempted to stay healthy during long and often dangerous voyages. From cloves and pepper to curious remedies and seafaring superstitions, visitors discovered the surprising ways in which Tudor people understood illness, healing and the natural world.
Blending storytelling with hands-on moments, the sessions encouraged visitors to smell, touch and examine a variety of ingredients and objects, bringing the history of medicine to life for audiences of all ages.
The Great Cabin was transformed into the Botanist's study, where visitors explored the herbs, spices and curious remedies of the Tudor world.
One of the highlights of the week was the return of Southwark Heritage, who joined us aboard for a special object handling session exploring medicine, trade and everyday life in the early modern world.
Led by Heritage Officer Jeevan Sanghera, the drop-in experience gave visitors the rare opportunity to get up close to historical artefacts connected to healing, superstition and global exploration. The session sparked plenty of curiosity and conversation, helping to reveal the stories behind the objects and the people who once used them.
The programme formed part of our ongoing commitment to bringing history to life through immersive experiences and hands-on learning. By combining original interpretation, storytelling and partnerships with organisations such as Southwark Heritage, we hope to continue creating opportunities for visitors to engage with the past in new and unexpected ways.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us aboard during the half-term and to our friends at Southwark Heritage for helping make the programme such a success.
Keep an eye on our What's On page and social channels for future family activities, special events and school holiday programmes aboard The Golden Hinde.
