Muncaster Castle

Lily Tidman, St Hilda’s College, BA History & Politics, Second Year Undergraduate, A mixture of remote and in-person internship

Work Projects

I was working with one other intern - Alex Beeton, a first-year DPhil student - researching two glass objects held by the castle: the Luck and "Fake" Luck of Muncaster. Our main goal was to determine their provenance and the credibility of legends surrounding them, using historical research to reveal the credence which should be given to an associated family tradition telling of a visit by Henry VI during the Wars of the Roses.

Our main achievement was the production of a 100-page academic report on the two Lucks, their context and their history. We made use of a variety of sources to produce this report, from our own interviews with experts in various fields to documents held by the castle and secondary literature available online; we then produced a smaller document recommending various commercialisation strategies based on our findings, for use by the castle in future.

The castle team were all incredibly supportive, especially given the unusual circumstances under which we were completing this project. Peter Frost-Pennington, our main point of contact, was very flexible with regards to the outcome of the project given the closure of archives and libraries, and went out of his way to put us in contact with relevant academics and local people. Alex and I were empowered to choose the format the presentation of our

findings would take and encouraged to exercise our curiosity and creativity during both the research process and whilst making recommendations for a visitor experience based on this research, all the while able to contact Peter with any issues or questions that we had and being made to feel at home amongst the castle staff.

Daily Life

This internship was conducted partly remotely and partly on-site at Muncaster - with social distancing measures in place. The majority of the internship involved working from home pursuing various avenues of research, from conducting Teams interviews with academics in various specialisms to perusing the journal of a local history society.

Typically, Alex and I would have a couple of meetings per week to ensure we had a clear road-map for our research and to delegate tasks, incorporating other members of staff as they started coming off furlough through July. We also had regular catch-ups with Peter Frost-Pennington as the project progressed.

We visited Muncaster twice during the internship, once to make use of the castle's library and documents held on-site, the second time staying for a week to write up our report and plan a visitor experience. During the second visit, we worked in spacious rooms in our own area of the castle, with lunch breaks outside overlooking the mountains on nice days. In the evenings we drove to local villages and beaches such as Ravenglass and Drigg to enjoy the scenery; one memorable day, we visited Wast Water together, taking a short hike before enjoying a meal at a local pub.

We were also encouraged to experience other aspects of life at the castle, seeing displays at the Hawk & Owl centre and going behind the scenes to spend time with volunteers. Getting to experience the local landscape as part of our research was an unexpected bonus: we were encouraged to explore sites of built and natural heritage linked to our project, such as nearby Chapel's Monument built to commemorate the spot where Henry VI is said to have been found on the run from a battle.

Lasting Impressions

Peter and Iona put their hearts and souls into their work at the castle, creating a welcoming environment for everyone who visits - being able to experience that has definitely been a highlight of my summer. Although I am from the local area, I believe this internship has the added benefit of introducing other students to new areas of the UK, encouraging them to consider careers outside cities and to broaden their understanding of the opportunities available in rural areas. For me, taking part in this project as part of a duo was extremely beneficial; working with Alex not only gave me an insight into life as a DPhil student (a path I have been considering) but also provided me with an invaluable opportunity to learn from someone more experienced in producing academic documents, a skill I hope to carry forward to a career in history or heritage.

One of the main things I have gained from this internship is a sense of confidence in my own ability to "do history" beyond my University essays. Being given the trust to complete a project of such significance to the site and to local historians using our own instincts, and being able to complete that to a higher standard than I expected of myself, has cemented for me a desire to undertake similar work in future, whether in my own research or in the workplace.

What advice would you give to future interns?

If future interns are new to the area, I would recommend taking a car yourself if at all possible - there is not a great deal of public transport in the area and the nearest shop is 3 miles away. Also, this would enable you to take full advantage of being in such a beautiful part of the country, with England's highest mountain and deepest lake on your doorstep in Wasdale and miles of gorgeous beaches nearby!

On your time off, definitely take advantage of being in the Western Lakes as it has some of the most amazing scenery in England and great opportunities for activities like walking and swimming. Be open to sampling everything the castle has on offer, from birds of prey shows to guided tours, as this will give you a good impression of all the work being done on-site and allow you to immerse yourself in its history. And you should definitely try the chocolate brownie at the castle's Creeping Kate cafe!

Alex Laith Beeton, DPhil History, First Year Postgraduate, A mixture of remote an in-person internship

Work Projects

Our task was to research the "Luck of Muncaster", an object held at the castle, and write a report including recommendations for commercialising our research. The task was enormously fun and ultimately, we were very satisfied with our final offering. We produced a report of over 100 pages and a separate report with advice for using our research. We contacted and interviewed relevant experts as well as carrying out our own secondary and primary research.

We worked in a team of two and were largely left to our own devices. We communicated most days and agreed clear divisions of labour and coordinated work. Peter, the castle manager, was always helpful and we talked with him via calls or messages regularly throughout the project. He was extremely enthusiastic as was the castle curator and other staff and volunteers on site.

The project was a mix of remote and in person (at the castle in Cumbria). I felt towards the end of the project that my colleague and I could have used more specific direction regarding the commercialisation advice, but this was resolved easily in discussion with Peter. We are now hoping to convert some of our report into an academic article and, again, Peter is being very supportive.

Daily Life

The internship was a mixture of remote and in person and I was working with one colleague. For remote working I tried to treat it as a 9am-5pm job, though I usually worked more in the evenings out of personal choice than the demands of the project. My colleague and I would communicate most days about the project but before the project began we discussed broad divisions of topics and fell into a pattern of twice weekly audio meetings to discuss the project and our strategy. Thanks to this structure, I would do mini projects with mini reports every few days which we would then discuss. We organised and carried out interviews (where necessary) or email correspondence with relevant experts. I tried to ensure clear break off points from work in my daily routine including exercise and leisure activities.

When at Muncaster, I was housed in the castle's tower and separately at the guest house. We were given freedom to work our own hours and to use rooms in the castle. This was an excellent working environment. I socialised with my colleague and the castle staff where possible and went on a few excursions to local beauty spots which was a great deal of fun. I was only at the castle for two spells totalling 10 days but, under normal circumstances, I think an on-site project with colleagues would be an excellent working environment.

Lasting Impressions

I loved my time working on the internship, both remotely and at Muncaster. Every person involved in was kind, helpful, and enthusiastic about our project and it was really interesting and intellectually stimulating to undertake the internship. The castle itself is stunningly beautiful and for a brief period I was fortunate enough to live and work in some of the nicest settings imaginable. It is a quiet, peaceful place outside of opening hours and in normal circumstances a great location for exploring local lakes and beauty spots. I feel I gained an invaluable experience of a research project within the heritage sector as well as a very enjoyable experience.

Joel Casey, St Anne’s College, DPhil English Literature, DPhil, A mixture of remote and in-person internship

Work Projects

I was tasked with researching and planning a 'below-stairs' tour of Muncaster Castle. I researched past staff at the Castle, systems and hierarchies of domestic service, and the gender and class politics of domestic life in a stately home. I visited the Castle twice to conduct archival research and to take visitor surveys on its re-opening.

I was also given access to a number of digital resources and previous research. I was able to have meetings with the two curators at the Castle and other tour guides and staff, who all showed me a dizzying array of artefacts and documents which contributed to my research! They also helped me map out the practicalities of a tour route that avoided the Frost Pennington family's private rooms and could work on a one-way system.

Daily Life

Most of my work was remote, with a couple of visits to the Castle. I would begin the day slowly with a coffee by catching up on emails and correspondence relating to the internship. At the beginning, the key task was to work out what research I could do online and what would not be feasible. I compiled reading lists and contacted archives to see what I could access remotely and drew up a list of priorities for reading and research to carry out.

In the evenings, I spent a lot of time watching films and TV shows or cooking to wind down (but not period dramas set in similar country houses!). When I was at the Castle, I would get up and meet with Peter as he was setting up the Castle for the day. There was not a set routine for the first visit as I was squeezing a lot in, but I spent a lot of time walking around dusty corridors and back rooms of the castle to map out potential routes for the tour, and poring over old wages books and other archival materials relating to domestic staff. I also had a work base in the very beautiful billiards room with wood-panelled walls including a piece of panelling from HMS Temeraire!

My second visit was more structured, and I spent the days shadowing tour guides and conducting surveys afterwards with visitors. On this visit, I was based and even slept in the 14th century Pele Tower! The sense of being in a Victorian novel that this created was enhanced by my late-night rainy walks through the Castle's grounds. Due to social distancing, I was unable to socialise with the Frost Pennington family, but these walks made up for it!

Lasting Impressions

I had a fantastic time doing the internship. I was initially very nervous about the prospect of engaging with visitors and other organisations, and much more confident about the research side of the role. However, the most fulfilling experience was speaking to visitors and getting a sense of what they enjoyed about places like Muncaster Castle. This actually helped solidify my thoughts about working in the heritage and history sector: hearing other people talk about their enthusiasms made me reflect on why I had done the internship and what I enjoyed about this sector, personally and professionally. Despite purportedly being about research, this internship has provided me with practical and commercial skills that are often lacking in PhD study.