1
Severndroog by numbers
Information for teachers
This activity provides the opportunity for your students to practise their observation
skills as well as using their number skills in a practical situation. They are asked to
count and collect the numbers of the different features of the building, and later,
back at school, to use these numbers in simple calculations. You may prefer to set
different calculations, depending on the age and ability of your students.
At the castle, ask your students to work in pairs or small groups to collect the
numerical information asked for. When they are counting windows, ask them to
think of different ways of making the task easier. For example: by counting the
windows on each floor, or on each side, or face, of the building, then adding the
totals together.
You will need to set some guidelines or boundaries, for this task. We suggest the
following:
 stairs to be counted – only include the internal spiral stairs from the ground
floor to the door leading to the roof. Do not include stairs leading up to the
entrance or on the roof to the turret viewpoint. There are 87 spiral stairs,
starting from the exit to the ground floor café.
 interior doors – count only the main structural doors from the ground floor
upwards. Do not go into the café, but count the door leading into it. Upstairs,
do not count modern additions such as doors to lavatories, cupboard doors
etc. There are 7 interior doors in the main structure.
 exterior doors – count only those to be seen from the outside of the building,
not those on the roof. There are 2 exterior doors.
 tall windows – these are the arched windows in each turret and in the main
body of the tower. Some are larger than others, but they all count as tall
windows. There are 33 tall windows. Your students may notice that some are
fake windows, created for reasons of symmetry.
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
2014
2
 small windows – these are the windows on the third floor, in a quatrefoil
shape. All except one are fake. On the inside, only the one real window may be
seen.
There are 9 small windows. The photograph shows the view of the one
genuine window from the inside.
 small arched windows – these are on the ground floor, in the centre of each
main wall. There are 3 small arched windows.
 sides to the building – ask students to count a new side, or face, every time
they come to an angle when walking round the outside, even if these faces are
very short. There are 18 sides to the building.
 merlons are the upstanding parts of the building known as crenellations or
battlements (in castles built for defence). The gaps between the merlons are
called crenels. There are 30 merlons in total, 6 on each turret and 12 on the
main body of the tower. Severndroog was not built as a defensive castle, or
fortress, but it was built with some similar features as this was a popular
architectural style at the time.
You may wish to follow this activity with Shapes and pattern or Recording the
building. The information gathered may be used to support the model making
activity detailed in Maths for models.
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
2014
3
Severndroog by numbers
Let’s count at the castle
The Severndroog Wizard has asked you to check numbers at the castle. He needs to
know everything about the place but does not have time to check it all himself.
Can you help? Look and count all the castle parts shown here. There are some
puzzles at the end for you to solve to help the Wizard, when you are back at school.
What to find
How many?
I found
Tall window
tall windows
Hint – count and record the number on each floor at a
time.
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
2014
4
I found
Small window
small windows
Are they all real windows?
I found
Small arched window
small arched windows
I found
Door on the outside
Draw one of the doors
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
doors on the outside
2014
5
I found
Sides to the building
Hint – walk around the outside and count each side you
see. Every time you turn a corner, this will be the next
side, or face, of the building.
sides to the building
I found
Doors on the inside
doors on the inside
I found
merlons on each turret
Merlons
Clue- a merlon is the square standing up part around
the top of the castle roof. Some of them go round
corners on each turret.
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
and
merlons between each
turret.
2014
6
I found
Stairs
Hint – count only the spiral stairs inside the building.
Start from the ground floor, as you leave the cafe.
stairs
Use the space below for rough notes.
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
2014
7
Back at school
Now help the Wizard by solving the puzzles.
What to do
Answer
Find the total number of windows.
(Add the number of tall windows to the number of
small windows, and small arched windows).
Total =
Find the total number of doors.
(Add the number of doors on the outside to the
number of doors on the inside.)
Total =
What is the difference between the number of
windows and the number of doors?
(Subtract the smaller number from the larger
number.)
Total =
Divide the number of stairs by the number of
turrets.
Total =
Find the total number of merlons.
Total =
Divide the number of sides of the building by the
number of small arched windows.
Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust
Total =
2014