Year 4 becoming Monks at Gloucester Cathedral

On Wednesday, Year 4 piled into 3 minibuses and set off for Gloucester Cathedral to become Benedictine monks for the afternoon. In the Education Centre we all donned black habits and entered the Cathedral via the ‘Time Stairs’, which took us back to c. 1350 AD. Our two groups of ‘monks’ were taken to the medieval cloisters, one by the ‘Abbot’ (Mrs Law), the other by the ‘Prior’ (Miss Penny).  We learned about the jobs each of the monks had, such as the infirmarian, before visiting the Chapter House where the Abbot read an extract from the Rule of St. Benedict before having to discipline three of the brothers for misdemeanours such as talking in the cloisters or breaking a plate. Then we filed into the Cathedral to sing ‘Dona nobis pacem’ in the choir stalls, our chanting echoing round the sunlit vault. Back in the Chapter House we took off our habits and enjoyed a variety of activities: writing with quills, making a paper monk, and making Tussie-Mussies (lavender bags) thought to ward off infections as well as unpleasant smells. All too soon it was back to the minibuses for the journey back to C21st CCJS. What a fantastic way to spend the afternoon!

Click here to see the photos