Starter quiz
- In what style did the Normans build monasteries in England?
- 'Romanesque' ✓
- Norman monasteries were often decorated with distinctive ______ patterns.
- 'chevron' ✓
- What does the architectural feature called an 'arcade' look like?
- multiple arches built next to each other in a row ✓
- an enclosed garden
- a high ceiling
- stone statues in a row
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- What was built inside Castle Acre Priory to allow more monks to conduct more services and longer periods of worship?
- cloisters
- apses ✓
- a domitory
- a scriptorium
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- How was the cloister designed for reading and writing?
- It had more sunlight and was warmer. ✓
- It had less sunlight and was cooler.
- It was next to the infirmary.
- It was next to the kitchen.
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- Which room did the monks use for their studies during the winter months?
- the infirmary
- the scriptorium ✓
- the chapel
- the refectory
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Exit quiz
- Castle Acre Priory was set up to accommodate a community of monks from the ______ order.
- 'Cluniac' ✓
- What was the main purpose of the prayers offered to God by the monks at Castle Acre Priory?
- to ask God to find a cure for disease
- to ask God for a good harvest
- to seek God's forgiveness for sin ✓
- to ask God to defeat England's enemies
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- In addition to its religious function, the work done by monks in the scriptorium meant Castle Acre Priory was also a centre for Christian ...
- 'learning' ✓
- Why was Castle Acre Priory also an important economic and administrative centre in Norfolk?
- It manufactured pots and pans and sold them at the local market.
- It produced large amounts of food and generated rents. ✓
- It drew large groups of tourists in the summer who paid to view the monastery.
- It issued fines to local people who failed to attend church.
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- The ______ of Castle Acre Priory had a lot of political power.
- 'Prior' ✓
- Castle Acre Priory increased ______ power and control in Norfolk.
- 'Norman' ✓
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The priory was established as a centre for religious worship.
- The priory needed to accommodate a community of Cluniac monks.
- The priory's religious function was to benefit everyone, but the de Warennes in particular.
- The priory also had the political function of increasing Norman control over Norfolk.
- The priory also had important economic and administrative functions.
Common misconception
A priory would only have had a religious function in Norman England.
In fact, the Normans used religion extensively in gaining political, social, cultural and economic control over England.
Keywords
Cluniac - an order of monks which focused on prayer and reflection
Sin - an action or thought that is believed to go against what God wants for humans
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