Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine

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We will be linking this to our English topic based on the story of Lila and the Secret of Rain which is set in the Kenyan village as well as our geography unit on weather and climates.

When legal segregation of bathing areas in Britain ended in 1901 and it finally became acceptable for both genders to bathe together, it was the beginning of the end for the bathing machine. Even when early forms of swimwear did start being introduced, society conveniently decided that a 'proper woman' should not be seen on the beach in her bathing suit. We have been having a wonderful time weighing objects around the classroom - not only have we used the correct mathematical vocabulary like 'heaviest' and 'lightest' but we are now weighing objects to the nearest gram (g). In the Victorian era, swimming in the sea was a new thing and something in which women rarely indulged. Many machines had doors front and back; those with only one door would be backed into the sea or need to be turned around.Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built Osborne House, their Italian Renaissance-style palazzo, in 1845. The State Rooms: The rooms where the queen entertained dignitaries and celebrities and conducted state business include a Council Room where she met with members of her Privy Council; a dining room set for a formal dinner in 1850; an opulent drawing room, decorated with yellow satin, mirrors and cut glass, and a billiards room where the queen and ladies of her court sometimes played. The most common machines had large wide wheels and were propelled in and out of the surf by a horse, or a pair of horses, with a driver. The household wing, containing accommodation for members of the royal household who accompanied Queen Victoria to Osborne, was completed in 1848.

We then wrote a set of instructions for Queen Victoria, explaining how she should use the bathing machine. We have been telling the time to the nearest five minutes as well as reading scales to tell an amount. In the next few weeks, we will be looking at where water comes from, how it can be used and just how precious water is.

But fashions changed and it was considered healthy to immerse oneself in salt water — or at least get a bit wet. In 1860 stables for 50 horses plus carriages were completed to the south, and the former stables were remodelled to provide augmented kitchen facilities and accommodation for servants. She will be linking this with our topic of survival to create a short animation based on what we have learnt this term.