A family trail and new displays explore the lives of monks and villagers from Castle Acre in Norfolk.
Swindon, ENGLAND, 2016-Jun-03 — /Travel PR News/ — The project tells the story of Castle Acre Priory near King’s Lynn, alongside the village and the people who lived there. The Priory is one of the best known and most important examples of Norman architecture in England.
EXPLORE THE LIVES AND SKILLS OF VILLAGERS
A family trail helps to illustrate what it was like to live in the village 900 years ago. Through activities, questions and illustrations visitors can follow in the footsteps of ‘Brother Odo’ and find out how the monks at the Priory lived. The trail then explores how other villagers lived in medieval times – whether they worked, fought or prayed.
The lives of the people who built Castle Acre, including the skills they needed and the dangers they faced, is explored in the Prior’s Lodgings. Interactive, hands on displays then challenge to see if they could have been a medieval builder.
English Heritage Area Manager Heather Redmond says:
“The completion of this project at Castle Acre Priory, including the new stonework display and family trail, will bring the history of the whole village to life for visitors. The historic information is given in fun, easily digestible chunks, and the characters like Brother Odo really help you step back in time and imagine the life of a medieval resident of Castle Acre.”
TWO OTHER NORMAN SITES IN THE VILLAGE
As well as Castle Acre Priory, there are two free sites in the village – Castle Acre Bailey Gate and Castle Acre Castle – which were all established after the Norman Conquest in the 11th and 12th centuries. Coinciding with the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, the £50,000 project also presents more information about these sites and their links to the Priory to help visitors understand the village as a whole, and how the community changed and developed over eight centuries.
Castle Acre Priory is open daily throughout the summer from 10am – 6pm.
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English Heritage: What it was like to live in the village of Castle Acre Priory 900 years ago