From Woolly Mammoths to Medieval Manuscripts: How Stonyhurst Pupils Are Learning History First-Hand

by Stonyhurst College | Feb 3, 2026

Three-year-old child holding the fossilised tooth of a woolly mammoth might sound unlikely, but at Stonyhurst, it is all part of the school day. From medieval manuscripts to ancient artefacts, pupils learn from more than 70,000 objects without ever leaving the Stonyhurst estate.

With access to one of the oldest museum collections in the English-speaking world, Stonyhurst offers a curriculum like no other. Spanning centuries and continents, the Collections comprise of around 100,000 books and tens of thousands of manuscripts and artefacts, giving pupils rare, hands-on opportunities to explore history, science, art and literature through objects that bring learning vividly to life. Today, the Collections are recognised as one of the UK’s most significant educational collections.

Behind these collections lies a clear purpose: to help pupils understand the world through the things people have left behind, including their values, struggles and ideas. Through these objects, tools, texts and treasures, pupils are given a rare opportunity to hold the past in their hands, equipping them with curiosity, empathy and a deeper understanding of the world they will shape.

Rooted in the Jesuit tradition, Stonyhurst places reflection, curiosity and lived experience at the heart of learning. Dr Jan Graffius, Curator of the Stonyhurst Collections, explains how faith and history are woven into pupils’ daily education.

“The Jesuits have always recognised that objects have the power to illuminate and inspire,” said Dr Graffius. “The whole point of a Jesuit education is to observe, absorb and learn.”

From the age of three, pupils benefit from hands-on lessons in the museum, enabling them to explore history, science, art and literature through objects that bring abstract ideas vividly to life.

Older pupils use the collections to deepen their studies.

Sixth Form pupils studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) curate their own exhibitions using original artefacts, while A level artists and biologists draw inspiration from the Waterton Collection – developing critical thinking, creativity and confidence through real-world learning.

Recent displays, such as Womanuscripts, curated by pupils, have explored women’s roles in history through letters, recipes and theological manuscripts.

Supporting Dr Graffius in this work is Museum Education Officer Esther Rollinson. Together, they have developed hundreds of thought-provoking lessons and frequently welcome local schools to share in the experience, offering visiting pupils the same opportunity to engage with objects, broaden horizons and develop a love of learning through history.