Research Experiences

In July, the Box Office Bears team visited Wildwood Trust in Kent. Wildwood has three rescued captive bears, who are living new lives in a large, wooded enclosure at the Trust.

We've been tracking bears in inns, arenas, and marketplaces, but they were also “presented” in royal residences and recreational spaces, including the distinguished Banqueting House.

In 1583, on a cold winter’s night, a great fire swept through the town of Nantwich in the north-west of England...

I have frequently been asked when I talk about the BOB project, “did the bears hibernate”? We can answer this question in two ways: by looking at what we know about modern bears, and by looking at archival accounts.

These are pots modelled on bears used in baiting. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and poses, but are most frequently shown sitting upright on their hindlegs with a dog between their front paws.