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Practical Activities for Visiting Schools

Each activity session is led by the Education Officer or a volunteer helper. You should allow about 45 minutes for each activity in your timetable. These activities can be adapted to suit most ages, but work best with Upper Key Stage 2 and Lower Key Stage 3.

Taking the Vow

We have monk's habits available in sizes to fit most school pupils. These can be used to help pupils discover what the vows and the lifestyle of the monks would have entailed. After a short talk, groups of pupils dress in the robes, take a short vow of silence and process into the ruins for meditation and a photo opportunity!

Medieval Hygiene

Learning about the (lack of) hygiene in medieval times enthrals most pupils and, working in groups, they can make and take away with them either some medieval toothpaste, made in a mortar and pestle from an ancient recipe, or a Tudor pomander to keep away noxious smells, made from oranges and spices.

Calligraphy

The monks spent their work time copying books and illustrating manuscripts. Groups of pupils can write with a quill pen, copy some text using italic pens, and make an illuminated letter using their own names.

Brass Rubbing

The Abbey holds a collection of replica brasses and the equipment for making rubbings from these. They can be used to illustrate the costumes of Tudor times and some of the decorations that would have adorned the Great Church.

Tile Making

A local expert on the process of making encaustic tiles can be booked to work with class sized groups for the day at the Abbey to make bi-coloured tiles using replica tile moulds from the original designs found at the Abbey. There are additional charges for this activity to cover the cost of the clay to work with, and the cost of firing the tiles, if required. The tiles will need to be collected from the Abbey when the process is completed.

Banners & Flags

The heraldic devices seen on the floor tiles on display in the Abbey Museum, are used as a starting point for children to create their own symbols on flags, pennants or even replica shields, linking the finds of the Abbey and our connection to the great King Arthur as part of the Abbey visit.