|
Guided
A Day in the Life of a Monk (2 hours)
Don monks' robes to investigate the medieval monks' way of life through role play and discussion. With our Abbot, you will:
- consider entering the monastery as novice Cistercian monks
- think about why it was a good place to build a monastery
- discover how often monks attended services, take part in a typical service and investigate the building
- find out about the chapter meeting, including punishments following confessions/accusations
- discover what a tonsure is and how often monks bathed
- investigate the Lavatorium in the cloister
- consider what the monks could eat
- discuss why Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries and what became of the monks
Find out how this links in to learning objectives.
Sensory Trail (1½–2 hours; 1 class per session)
We explore the Abbey and surroundings where you:
- collect natural colours to make your own rainbow
- listen in silence – make a sound map
- use your sense of touch to describe various materials – stone, wood, metal, plants
- feel and smell the plants in the herb garden
Under the Bridges (2 hours)
Use your map-reading skills and our photos around the river valley and the abbey ruins to assess the primary evidence about the use of water by the monks.
Students will work in pairs or threes sharing a trail pack, in which numbered pictures correspond to map numbers. On the cards, instructions and questions are to encourage thought and discussion. Extracts from various sources provide evidence, information and an explanation or insight into monastic life.
Handling Session (45 mins, complementary to A Day in the Life of a Monk)
Talk about and handle real pieces of medieval pots, jugs and tiles from our site.
back to top
Self-led
Under the Bridges (1½–2 hours)
Packs are available for hire from the Learning Team to allow you to run this activity (described above) on your own. It includes an information/answer sheet for leaders.
Maths Discovery Trail (1–½ hours)
Linked to the Numeracy Strategy, the activities focus mainly on measure, shape and space. The children do mathematical tasks and look for information to answer questions or to use for follow-up activities. Free photocopiable resources.
Mill and Museum Trail (1 hour)
The trail is a booklet that follows the visitor route around the mill, with questions relating to stone masonry, the building’s history and the artefacts conserved within. A teachers’ answer booklet is available. Free photocopiable resources.
Estate Trails (1½–2 hours)
These eight trails explore the whole of the estate. Trails 5–8 leave the Visitor Centre and go via the Deer Park and Water Garden to the Abbey, Mill and Hall, whereas trails 1–4 do the reverse. They are designed to be fun and informative, and are free photocopiable resources.
To use these, you'll need to download a site plan and an Abbey plan from our Useful resources page.
|
