The Kids Rule! Guide to… Medieval Monasteries

Supports the

THEZINE A NG A M GY OU FOR MBERS! E M

THE Kids RuLe! GUIDE TO…

Key Stage 2 Curriculum

Find me for a cuddle inside!

Homes through history

hide and seek Can y ou fin the treasure d s Furness Ab of bey?

Whitby wonders

Discover the secrets of St Hild’s monastery!

Make a mini model of Cleeve Abbey

e! m i t z i Qu uld you Co ke a live li sian u Car th k? o m n

ABBEY DAYS Read about a day in the life of Beatrice while living with the nuns at Denny Abbey in 1513

Let us pray!

• MIRACULOUS BODY PARTS! • LOLS! INSIDE • SPOOKY GHOST STORIES! • SNAKES!

LiVING A PrAYER

Welcome my brothers and sisters!

ON

ed in places of peace, liv ns nu d an ks on m l va Medie troduction with the in is th e et pl m Co . ng ni prayer and lear ld urney back into their wor jo ur yo t ar st to ds or w g missin

After St Augustine brought to Anglo-Saxon England in 597, communities of religious men and women, called monks and nuns, began to devote their lives to God. They lived in buildings called where they prayed, grew food, fed the poor, welcomed pilgrims who came to see their holy relics, and educated local children – at a time when there weren’t any schools.

There were several different orders of monks and who all lived and differently. After the Normans conquered England in 1066, the monasteries became very powerful. By the 14th century there were as many as 700 monasteries in Britain, and these played an important role in the lives of many people. However, this all ended when King Henry VIII decided to break from the Church in 1534, and the monasteries were closed in what became known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

MISSING WO

RDS

Catholic Christianity Monasteries

Nuns Worshipped

Answers (in order): 1 Christianity, 2 Monasteries, 3 Nuns, 4 Worshipped, 5 Catholic

What’s inside?

2

Here’s what you can find in this issue of Kids Rule!

s 5 thingt to spo Pet rab bit

A day in the life of a girl living with the nuns at Denny Abbey in 1513 Page 4

e objects Can you find these fiv is issue? th of s hiding in the page Spectacles

Cross

Illuminated Stained manuscript glass

Everything you need to know about Whitby Abbey and St Hild Page 6

Can you find and rescue the treasures of Furness Abbey before it’s too late?

Page 8

Make your own medieval floor tiles!

LO

What L! a l nima moniaved in ls st Chipm eries? onks!

From Cleeve Abbey

From Hailes Abbey

Decorative floor tiles were a feature of many medieval monasteries. Have a go at making your own floor tile stamp to create an amazing collage!

Among the ruins of monasteries, such as Cleeve Abbey in Somerset and Hailes Abbey in Gloucestershire, it’s still possible to see sections of their floors, which were covered in beautiful decorated tiles. These were often decorated using stamped designs, and sometimes tiles were

placed together to make bigger pictures. You can make your own tiles using stamps made out of cardboard. You could make a repeating pattern using your stamp, or create a design including pictures of animals, people and activities that you like.

From Hail Abbe es y

Instructions to make a cardboard tile stamp STEP

3

1

Cut out a square of thick card or cardboard that measures 10cm by 10cm.

Cut out the shapes and figures to make your design out of cardboard. Stick them on to the square to make your stamp.

STEP

STEP

Alamy

2

4

Cut out four pieces of card measuring 10cm by 1cm. Glue them on to the edges of your square, making a border.

Discover the remarkable journeys pilgrims would make to visit holy relics Page 10

Add a double layered 5cm square to the reverse of the stamp to make a handle. Paint the raised parts of the stamp with the colours you want to use.

Look inside Buildwas Abbey – and discover what life was like for monks there Page 12

STEP

5

Press the stamp down on to paper or thin coloured card.

STEP

6

Repaint the stamp and continue to print on the paper or card until you have a big collection of stamped tiles.

I’m having nun of it!

Complete our quiz to Learn about the monk see if you could live who loved writing spooky stories at Byland Abbey like a Carthusian monk Page 16 Page 13

200718

STEP

03

A day in atgihrl elivinlgifate

Oof! My bed is

Meet Beatrice, 1513 Denny Abbey in the year

a lot comfier at home

Beatrice is eight and has been sent by her wealthy parents to live with the nuns at Denny Abbey near Cambridge. It’s the best place to be educated but it’s a harsh life after growing up in a nice house.

Amen

Daily life here starts early, with Beatrice and the other children being woken up at 5am to pray with the nuns. They start the day by praying for Mary of Pembroke, who founded the nunnery.

Slurp!

At least the food is peachy

The nuns are known as the Poor Clares but most come from rich families. They can afford to eat well, so Beatrice and the other children are given tasty food for breakfast, like fruit, to eat with their bread.

Now I know the real meaning of a bad habit!

The nuns wear very simple brown tunics called habits, with veils to go over their heads. This is very different to the kind of clothes Beatrice was used to seeing at home.

Yawn! It’s tiring being an angel!

The girls are taught how to read and how to be good Christians. Some of them will become nuns when they’re older. Beatrice and her friend Mabel are looking forward to the class finishing.

In a break between schooling and work around the abbey, Beatrice and her friends sit in the sun in the central garden. Some of them have pets, which include lap dogs, kittens and rabbits.

This is a purr-fect break

In the afternoon Beatrice and Mabel have lots of tasks to do but decide to sneak off and play Nine Men’s Morris instead. It’s an old game but easy to learn as Mabel teaches her.

You’ve got a lot to learn

Beatrice takes Mabel’s seventh piece and wins the game. She loudly celebrates her victory, and a nun catches them playing.

Gulp!

I’ll be all white!

The abbess in charge of the Abbey is a fearsome lady called Elizabeth Throckmorton.

She’s angry that Beatrice and Mabel weren’t doing their chores, and gives them extra work as punishment.

That behaviour is unacceptable!

sorry Dame Elizabeth!

What are you doing? I’m taking you to the abbess!

Beatrice is going to school at Denny Abbey but she doesn’t know how long she will be here. Her parents might want her to stay and become a nun. After being told to scrub the floor this is the last thing she wants to do.

Grrr! I think I’m done being a nun

ut bo o a t re . mo ey, go tage n r bb i r a y e le e h To nny A lish- -abb dDe .eng enny lan w /d rm ww g.uk e-fa um or d-th use m an

S R E D wON of WHITBY Discover the story of Whitby Abbey, founde d by Abbess Hild on a headland on the North Yorkshire coast

A FABULOUS FOUNDER Whitby

in was founded ople of A monastery e pe th n he w e tim d to in 657, at a being conver te both England were d ha ry te e monas Christianity. Th ns. Its head was an nu d an ks mon Hild or Hilda. abbess called Have com you a ha e for ir cu t?

A MEETING PLACE In 664, a

meeting ca lled the Synod of W hitby took place at th monastery. e different m It was held because onks could n’t agree o how they sh n ou how they sh ld cut their hair or ould work ou date of East er. The met t the working ou hod of t th the Synod is e date agreed at still used to day!

St Hild

THE SINGING MONK me to a

ry was ho Hild’s monaste d Caedmon. He lle farmworker ca overed a gift for disc miraculously ch was and song, whi sage. ry et po g in es writ m n tia ris the Ch used to spread Caedmon 6

RAMPAGIN VIKINGS G During

the 800s th e monastery wa It was prob s abandoned. a by the Vikin bly destroyed gs, whose a rmies were ramp aging acro ss England at St Hild’s bo this time. n – were so h es – or relics oly dug them u that monks p an them to Gla d moved sto Abbey in So nbury merset.

A Viking

LOL !

bs n bom Germa bbey in a hit the 14 19

Wh nun sat did th eatin ay before e g Lettu salad? ce pra y!

TOURISTS AND TERRORS

Making hiss-tory

In the 19th century, the abbey’s ruins became a tourist attraction for people enjoying seaside holidays.

Among the visitors was the author Bram Stoker.

He included Whitby Abbey as a setting in his scary vampire novel, Dracula.

The legend of St Hild and snakes

HORRIBLE HENRY

S REINFRIDL’ REVIVA ks

on d 1078, m In aroun Whitby under to r returned hip of a forme rs e d he a T . id fr the le in e alled Re knight c ved and becam ri th onks y m e abbe th , e 1200s us rich. In th build a fabulo to ti d s ins ll star te rch. Its ru new chu ive today. surv

In 1539, He nry down the m VIII closed o cast out its nastery and monks duri ng the Dissolu Monasterie tion of the s – every a bbey and monast suffered th ery in England e same fate . Many of Whitby’ sb destroyed, uildings were b was left st ut the church anding and the former ab became a m bot’s house an posh Cholm sion for the ley family.

It’s way my or t he high way !

ry

n He

I

VII

The nuns and monks of St Hild’s monastery didn’t just have to put up with wind and rain but also hissing snakes hiding in the grass! A story dating back to the Middle Ages says that the nuns at Whitby became so scared of these snakes that they wouldn’t leave their living quarters. Hild prayed to God for help and miraculously turned the snakes to stone, sending them tumbling over the cliff into the sea. Snakes weren’t the only animals troubling the abbey – in another story, Hild’s prayers got rid of geese that were eating the monastery’s crops.

There are lots of prehistoric fossils near Whitby called ammonites.

They resemble curled snakes and are called ‘snake stones’. In the Middle Ages, these were believed to be the snakes that Hild had turned to stone.

They even featured on the coat of arms of Whitby Abbey and are still the symbol of the town today.

7

Abbey attack!

It’s 1537 and King Henry VIII has ordered his officials to demolish Furness Abbey and raid its belongings. Can you spot all the things around the abbey listed on the right?

The story of Furness Abbey Furness Abbey in Cumbria was the largest and richest monastery in north-west England. It was founded by the future King Stephen, and its story goes back to 1124. The monks divided their days into periods of prayer, study and manual labour. In about 1200 the abbey was home to a monk called Jocelyn, who wrote several books – one describes how St Patrick banished snakes from Ireland.

Pilgrims visited a statue of the Virgin Mary at the abbey, and many rich people were buried there. In 1537, Henry VIII ordered the abbey’s closure. He seized all its valuables and its buildings fell into ruin.

things to spot

ent Vestm Monk

Chalice

Soldier

Blanket

Poor widow

Book of hours

Abbot

Sacrsehdrines lled on pilgrimages to In medieval times, people trave rts or possessions of pray before relics – the body pa ve magical powers saints – that were thought to ha

Tremendous tombs

Powerful potions

Every monastery had its own collection of relics. It was believed that the saints they came from would ask God to per form miracles for the people who came to pray before them.

These included curing illnesses or disease and even bringing the dead back to life!

Holy worship

Relics were so important that they were placed in special containers called shrines. These often had holes in the side so that pilgrims could crawl in and get close to the relic and its holy power.

Making a pilgrimageown

L

OL! W priohr at did t mon say to the k wh he the m o o lef You’r nasteryt? e fria red!

10

en kn Men and wom ld make ou w s as pilgrim called long journeys y their pa to es pilgrimag lics. In the respec t to re an called m a 0s early 110 his ad Godric m e Holy e th to e ag pilgrim ot – he Land barefo that r fa so d walke e stones becam et! s fe hi in ed dd embe

Many monasteries had their own saints. These were often people who used to be abbots or abbesses. Their bodies were buried in a prominent place, such as the church of a monastery. Many abbots from St Augustine’s Abbey became saints, and abbots William and Aelred of Rievaulx did too.

Fabulous fragments

THE

HOLY

Bits of saints’ bodies or clothing were removed and revered as relics.

Bat tle Abbey had over 150 of these relics, and each one was described in a specially writ ten list.

BLOOD

OF HAILES Badges of honour

Opinionated opponents

Not everyone believed in the usefulness of pilgrimages. In the 16th century there was a split in Christianity called the ion. In England, Henry rmat Refo VIII and his supporters destroyed the shrines of saints and threw relics away. This became known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Pilgrims would buy small metal badges as a souven ir of their pilgrimage. They would touch these badges to shrines, hoping that som e of the holiness and magic power of the relics would be transferred to the badge.

Treasured possessions

Roman Catholics still believe in the value of relics. In fact, people with no belief sometimes religious ke or possessions to ep photos allow them to feel close to a person they loved. These special objects can also be thought of as relics.

ooooh, blisters!

One of the holiest relics in medieval England was the Holy Blood of Hailes.

This was believed to be portions of the blood shed

by Christ as he died on the cross. Edmund of Cornwall gave this relic to Hailes Abbey in 1270. The Pope said the relic was authentic, so pilgrims flocked to Hailes to visit it. The monks had to rebuild part of their church because there were so many people. The relic became very famous and was featured in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the most important medieval book about pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims to Hailes was Margery Kempe, who had a crying fit when she saw the relic. It was declared to be a fake during Henry VIII’s Reformation and was said to be either duck’s blood or honey coloured with saffron. Hailes was demolished but you can still see the base of the shrine for the relic today.

11

Look inside…

Buildwas Abbey

Discover what life was like for the monks living at this Cistercian abbey in Shropshire in 1200

LO

L! Wh the omworked a takeoanasteryt The fi way? and t sh friar h monekchip !

NOW 1 3

4

2

5

Historic England

6

THEN

1

The church

The church was the abbey’s holiest and most important building. The monks gathered here to sing eight different services every day. The earliest one started at 2am!

2

The cloister

At the centre of the cloister was a large, open square called a garth. This was planted with vegetables and fruit trees.

Surrounding this were covered walkways called alleys.

3

The monks’ dormitory

This was where the monks slept. Down each side were beds for the monks and in the centre were chests for storing their clothing. With 50 of them sleeping in here it could get very smelly!

4

The warming room

A fire was kept burning here from November to spring.

It was the only heated room in the whole abbey. It was also used for washing and drying laundry, and shaving the monks’ heads.

5

The refectory

This was the monks’ dining room, where they gathered to eat their single daily meal.

They had to remain silent and listen to a reading from the Bible or another holy book.

6

The lay brothers’ range

The monks and lay brothers (monks who couldn’t read) were strictly separated. On the first floor was the lay brothers’ dormitory. They had their own refectory on the ground floor.

To see Buildwas Abbey today and learn more, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/buildwas-abbey 12

Terrifying tales

s. Some of Hundreds of ghost stories survive from the Middle Age nd Abbey the very best were written by a monk who lived at Byla

A SPOOKY CE COINCIDEN loved

THEN

nuns Monks and other with ch scaring ea Some of spooky tales. val ghost ie ed the best m written by a stories were ed at h monk w o liv North in Byland Abbey nd 1400. u Yorkshire aro cidence, in co ky o o sp In a rrived at monks first a lloween n Ha the abbey o 117 in 7.

Don ’ you t lose r he ad!

L

Did OL! aboutyou hear who pthe nun her n icked It wa ose? s habiat bad !

NOW Who turned out the lights?

Photo: Steve Bell

HEAVENLY CALLINGd were

at Bylan al The monks internation part of an , n o ti a is n rga monastic o lled the ca or order, They lived Cistercians. existence le p a very sim ip d the hardsh and believe of their life ss and holine ‘the surest n put them o aven’. road to he

TWELVE TERRORS

The 12 Byland stories were jotted down by one of the monks in a handwritten book from the abbey’s library. Almost all of the tales take place in the area surrounding the abbey. Many were said to be based on eyewitness accounts. Gulp!

STS O H G Y L T S A GH rm took the fo

ons orses, ly appariti The ghost unds and horrible h d to o te h n u h a is eing h of hell e person b eir soul could th ld to d th an prayers so les confirmed say some e ta h T . n e v a oses – to go to he main purp ead. ’s d n la y B f the d one o e souls of pray for th

Discover more about Byland Abbey, at www.english-heritage.org.uk/byland-abbey IT’S YOUR TURN! Have a go at writing your own spooky short story, set where you live. When you’ve finished it, please ask a grown-up to send it to us at membersmagazine@immediate.co.uk and we’ll share the best in our next issue!

13

ini m n w ur o o y e k Ma leeve C f o l e mod ouse! h e t a g y e b Ab Rule! magazine Look out for future issues of Kids es through hom re mo te to get templates to crea street of a ke ma to history. Collect them all s! age the ugh model houses thro

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Making an entrance Cleeve Abbey in Somerset was built more than 800 years ago. It was originally called Vallis Florida – Valley of Flowers – but later took the name Cleeve after the nearby village. It was founded by William de Roumare, who was keen to enjoy a godly life that he believed would keep him out of purgatory! Around 200 years after it was completed, the monks renovated the abbey. In the 1500s, Cleeve’s last abbot, William Dovell, finished the works.

14

Step in side our hu mble home!

We lov you e rd diar eadly ies!

YOU diD it!

Last issue we challenged you to write your own siege diary. Here are the winning entries!

I

W

R!

E NN

Holly, age 9

RU

NN UP ER-

, sica Jes e 9 ag

COMPETITION

Design your own stained-glass window!

Enter our competition for your chance to win a brilliant £100 goody bag!

Sam, 1 age 1

NER RUN P U

Many medieval monasteries had spectacular stained-glass windows with colourful designs telling stories from the Bible. We would like you to have a go at designing your own stained-glass window, including your favourite things such as pets, family, stories, cartoon characters, computer games or food. Go to www.englishheritage.org.uk/kids to find out more and to enter. We’ve got a goody bag worth £100 for our favourite design!

Terms and conditions The closing date and time for entries is midnight on 2 June 2021. For full terms and conditions, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kids

This magazine is published on behalf of English Heritage by Immediate Media Co. www.immediate.co.uk For English Heritage Luke Whitcomb, Johanna Lovesey, Tom Dennis, Tony Dike, Richard Leatherdale, Tom Moriarty, Fran Gibbons For Immediate Media Co Group editor Matt Havercroft, Group production editor Oliver Hurley, Senior art editor Sam Freeman, Art editor Elaine Knight-Roberts, Account director Esther Procee, Account manager Joanne Robinson, Director Julie Williams, Editorial director Dan Linstead, Design director Will Slater Contributors Michael Carter, Mark Douglas, Adam Rees Illustrations Wesley Robins

15

easy It’s not w! o you kn

a e k i l e v i l U O Y COULD

? k n o M n ia s u h t r Ca You have decided to become a Carthusian monk at Mount Grace Priory because: A They get plenty of time off for holidays B You like the sound of the swimming pool and play park C The monks of Mount Grace live a life of such hardship that it brings them closer to God

2

The monks each lived in a small house (cell) with a little garden, only coming out for church services three times a day. So, when you are locked in your cell, do you: A Spend your time playing on your PlayStation B Go to bed early and have a really good night’s sleep C Work, study and pray

3

It’s your birthday but what will you do to mark the occasion?

A You don’t celebrate your birthday – it’s just another day B You invite the other monks round for a party C Send out for pizza

4

On special days like Easter or Christmas you can look forward to what?

A Meeting up with your pals for a good old chat B Vegetable broth with perhaps a piece of cheese as a treat, eaten in complete silence C If it’s Christmas there’ll be crackers and party hats

16

5

Your family is important to you, but how will you keep in touch?

A Set up a daily Zoom call B Visit them at weekends C You’re only allowed to see them for one or two days a year

6

Being locked in your cell for long periods isn’t healthy, so do you: A Go to the gym B Dig your garden to grow vegetables and flowers C Do a daily Joe Wicks workout

7

All of the monks were encouraged to work but what job did one monk at Mount Grace do?

A He was a book binder.

Evidence was uncovered when his cell was excavated B He sold his fruit and vegetables at the local market C He made YouTube videos on how to cook vegetarian food, mostly broth

how many did you get right?

4-5

1-3

Maybe it’s time for a rethink!

Have you considered the Benedictine order?

6-7

Top monk skills!

Win the race to be selected as the next abbot Head online to download and play our monasterythemed version of snakes and ladders. We’ve got a board, players and spinner that you can download and print at home to get started.

The rules are simple: find a friend or grown-up to play with, take turns to spin the spinner and move that number of spaces. If you land on a ladder, follow it up to the space above. If you land on a snake, follow it down.

The first to the top gets the job, so be quick to climb the ladders and get there first!

To get started, go to: www.english-heritage.org. uk/kids-quizzes-and-games

Answers: 1 C, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 B, 7 A

1

quiz The life of a medieval monk was very strict. Take our Priory to see if you could live like they did at Mount Grace