Prior’s CHAPEL The beautiful Prior’s Chapel was used for private prayer and worship. There are only two remaining 12th-century features in this room because it was altered drastically between the 12th and 16th centuries. Tick off the original 12th-century features as you find them: tour and the broad arch in front of the window traces of a painting low down on the left wall Sketch the red flower decoration painted on the ceiling. Do you Explore recognise it? If so, when do you think it was put there and why? If not, have a guess and ask your teacher about it later. discoveries By Stonework Display Before you go back down the stairs, check out the interactive stonework display in the room next door. Well done! You have successfully toured and explored Castle Acre Priory. 12 welcome to castle acre priory Prior’s Great CHamber Hello, I’m Brother Odo. I was a monk at At the top of the spiral staircase in the Outer Castle Acre Priory during the Middle Ages. Parlour, you’ll find the door to the Prior’s Great Today, it is one of the most intact medieval Chamber. It was changed a lot between the priories in the whole of England. 12th and 16th centuries as the prior demanded It should take you between 45 and 60 minutes more and more comfortable living conditions. to tour the site and complete the challenges. The bay window used Priory map Use the map to help find your way to have stained glass around. You can explore the priory in any order you like. instead of the plain glass you see At each location, there are two challenges to choose from. today. Finish the design for this Dormitory Infirmary window panel by sketching a symmetrical (mirrored) pattern Chapter House Latrine in the empty half. Cloister Look for the carved Refectory sculptures sticking out of the walls. Find your favourite one and take a photo of it. Church Nave Stonework Church West Front Display Prior’s Porch Prior’s Chapel Lodging Prior’s Great Chamber Car park If you were the Prior in charge, name three changes you Visitor Centre Try doing CHallenge or . would make to this room to Herb garden Why not try both? Challenge B is aimed at more make it more comfortable. Education room experienced explorers, but anyone can have a go! 1 PHoto CHallenges If your 2 teacher lets you, you can complete 3 2 the optional photo challenges, too. 11 Prior’s Lodging CHurcH West Front The Prior was in charge of the monks. His rooms were bigger and more luxurious than ours. The The West Front of the Church is covered Outer Parlour is on the ground floor. This is where in carved stonework. This was typical of Norman he had meetings. We monks could get to it from design. Look for the carving of Felix the cat. the Cloister and visitors could access it from the He’s named after the local saint, Felix. Later, you can front entrance. In the corner, you’ll find a spiral visit the stonework display in the Prior’s Lodging staircase, leading to the surviving upper rooms. to learn how churches like this were built. Tick off any similarities you notice between the Outer Parlour Examine the different patterns carved and your school’s main reception: into the stone arches. Draw your favourite. Used for greeting Decorated to impress outside visitors Beautiful ceiling Faces west Leads to the rest of the building Pull a face Easily accessed from to match the inside and outside Obvious front door one of the head carvings at the West Front and Find the front porch and look up at the impressive ceiling. take a selfie. Use it as inspiration to sketch your own ceiling design. Norman buildings were often used as a symbol of wealth. List three ways modern people might show that they have lots of money today. 1 2 3 10 3 CHUrcH Nave Refectory The Church is made up of the main nave Try using these hand Everyone who lived at the priory signs yourself. with aisles either side. There used to be gathered here for one or two a great tower overhead, housing a large bell. meals a day. We listened Wings called transepts branch off from the main to Bible readings and ate in nave, forming a cross shape. The eastern half silence. Some of us used sign Pass the bread. of the church was reserved for monks. language to communicate. Our servants and visitors had to remain in the less sacred western half. I’m thirsty. E Using strides which I need a knife. are about a metre long, travel west to east Now come up with your own and estimate the length N Transepts S signs and draw them below: of the nave. Now travel north to south and measure the total width of the transepts. Nave I’m hungry. W 60 Find the oven for baking the communion bread in the sacristy 55 5 (through the north transept). Take a photo of it. 50 How many 10 Under the bell tower was the choir, where the monks stood for minutes do Pass the salt. hours each day, praying and singing chants. List three sounds you 45 you think you could 15 might have heard during a medieval church service. stay quiet for during lunchtime at school? 40 20 1 35 25 2 30 I’ve finished eating. 3 Take a photo or video of a class mate trying out some sign language in the Refectory. 4 9 Latrine Cloister The Latrine was a large toilet block The Cloister was a space at the centre Take a picture built over a stream. 24 of us could of the priory with a square garden. It was of an interesting use the toilet at the same time! surrounded with a covered walkway. We view of the priory It was cleverly designed for the used it for reading, writing and thinking. through a doorway quick disposal of waste. leading off the Cloister. Write down three words to describe how it might have smelt in and around the Latrine block. 1 2 Locate the wall cupboard next to the Chapter House. Did you find it? 3 What item do you think the monks stored in this cupboard? Think of one way your school toilets are similar to this Latrine Look closely at one of the Cloister block and two ways they are different. walls. You can reach out carefully and touch it if you like. Similar Describe the texture, colour and material of the wall. Different 1 2 8 5 CHapter House We used to meet at the Infirmary We went to the Infirmary if we got too arcaded walls Chapter House at 9 am every day sick or too old to keep up with the normal to listen to a chapter of the Rule routine. It was a place where we could bench of Saint Benedict. The decorated receive care, away from the rest of walls show you that this room was the religious community. We didn’t know very important to us. You can still much about medicine in the see the remains of the arcaded 12th century. We used herbs from walls and stone bench, on which the garden to treat our illnesses. 16 of us could sit. Later, find the herb garden by the Visitor Centre and take some close-up Rank the rules to show Monks who broke the photos of the herbs in the ‘healing’ section. how easy or hard it rules were punished would be for you to follow them: by the prior in charge. Think of one way health care has improved since medieval times. 1 = easiest 4 = hardest Invent your own punishment to You must live in poverty. give to a monk You must share everything who refused Medieval people used to with your fellow monks. to share. think that draining blood was 1 You must remain silent at a good way of removing sickness all times. from the body. List three nasty side 2 You must not marry or affects you might experience if your 3 have children. blood was drained. Dormitory A staircase leads to our shared Notice the wear on Most priors chose not to the steps. This was share a room with the monks. Dormitory (bedroom). We slept fully created by the monks going Why do you think this was? clothed on straw mattresses, with up and down. Which side of I don’t want to share with a light burning all night. The room the staircase do you think is no longer there, but you can see they used more often? the monks because. the size of our Dormitory by looking at the day room beneath. Left Right 6 7.