On Friday 15th January, an excited Year 4 set off in 3 minibuses for Gloucester Cathedral, there to take part in ‘The Monastery Trail’. The first surprise was putting on a monk’s black habit complete with hood and rope girdle, even the teachers! Then, after a short talk, we went down the ‘Time Stairs’ into the Cathedral cloisters, transformed into brothers of the Order of Saint Benedict, following Father Abbott (alias Mrs. Law, the Cathedral Education Officer).

We learnt about the different jobs the monks did and what a monk’s day would entail, including singing 8 services a day - 1 in the middle of the night! Some ‘monks’ had different roles to play, such as sacristan, kitchener, cellarer, librarian and infirmarian, and some had to be disciplined by Father Abbott in the Chapter House meeting! Everyone tried out reading an imaginary book in the cloister carrells, but all found the monks’ rule of silence the hardest to follow.

We learnt some Latin plainsong which we sang in the Cathedral choir stalls before returning to the Education Centre to do various activities including writing with quills and learning to Nine Men’s Morris, a favourite medieval board game. We all agreed it was a fantastic morning and a super learning experience!