Hi there, I'm Mr. Roberts, and thanks for joining me for today's history lesson where my job will be to guide you through our history resources.

I'll be making sure that by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to securely meet our lesson objective.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain the religious function of the White Tower.

There are four key terms which we need to make sure we're comfortable with before we start our lesson today.

A chapel is a small church or a room used as a church within a larger building.

A church is a building for Christian worship.

Romanesque refers to the style of building that was fashionable in Western Europe which recalled the power of the Roman Empire.

And nave refers to the long central part of a church, often with aisles on both sides.

Our lesson on St.

John's Chapel is separated into two learning phases, and the first part examines the architectural features of St.

John's Chapel within the White Tower itself.

The White Tower was a multifunction building designed to protect London and its Norman rulers from attack, to intimidate Londoners and foreign visitors, to administer London and its trade, as a space for royal ceremonies and government, and occasionally as a royal residence.

It also had a religious function, both as a place of private devotion for William I and as a public display of Norman dedication to God.

This was the purpose of St.

John's Chapel, or to use its full name, the Chapel of St.

John the Evangelist.

Today, the chapel is one of the best preserved examples of Norman religious architecture.

First now, as a learning check, I'd like you to complete the sentences on the screen using the same word twice to fill both gaps.

Pause the video while you have a think about the right answer, and then press play when you've made a decision.

Welcome back, and well done if your sentences now read as follows.

The White Tower had a religious role for William I and displayed Norman dedication to God.

This was exemplified by St.

John's Chapel, one of the best preserved examples of Norman religious architecture.

The original design of the White Tower integrated the chapel from the start, with the layout of the tower incorporating a rounded section on its southeastern corner for the Chapel's apse.

Inside ,the chapel was carefully designed to give the sense of being in the east end of a larger church where the altar is traditionally placed rather than the private space of a personal chapel.

It is the semicircular apse, the high vaulted ceiling, wide aisle, and the 12 huge columns that make the chapel seem bigger and grander than its actual relatively small size.

It's around 17 metres long and 9-1/2 metres wide.

The use of pale coloured Caen stone adds to the chapel's impact.

One of the most striking features of the chapel is its series of rounded arches, a hallmark of Romanesque architecture.

These arches are found in the arcade that separates the nave from the aisles as well as in the windows and doorways.

The chapel's classical style columns have decorated capitals.

These capitals change in style due to a pause in the building of the tower from 1083.

When building continued in the 1090s, capital's style had changed, so new more fashionable decorations were used for the later pillars.

The chapel also included a triforium, which is a walkway or gallery above the nave for spectators to see Norman religious observance.

It is possible that musicians also use this feature during ceremonies.

And before we move on, it's time for another brief learning check just to ensure we're securing key information.

I'd like you to list the architectural features that made St.

John's Chapel look larger than it was.

Pause the video while you have a think about the right answers, and then press play when you are ready for some suggestions.

Hello again, and well done if you listed the following as architectural features that made St.

John's Chapel look larger than it actually was: the semi-circular apse, the high vaulted ceiling, the wide aisle, the 12 huge columns, and pale coloured Caen stone.

The chapel's windows are narrow and high, allowing limited light to filter into the space.

This design was both a defensive measure and a reflection of the Romanesque style, which favoured small openings high up in massive walls.

The apse where the altar would've been placed was the focal point of religious ceremonies.

The simple clean lines and lack of elaborate decoration here is also a feature of Romanesque religious architecture.

On the opposite western end of the chapel is an archway where it is believed William planned to have a throne placed.

From this throne, he intended to watch the ceremonies being carried out in front of him.

Next, I'd like you to complete the sentences on the screen using the same keyword twice to fill both gaps.

Pause the video while you have a think about the right answer, and then press play when you've made a decision.

Hello again, and well done if your sentences now read as follows.

The chapel's narrow, high windows allowed in limited light, reflecting both defensive needs and Romanesque style preferences.

And the apse features simple, clean lines typical of a Romanesque architecture.

Now, I'd like you to have a go at the following two tasks.

Number one, label three architectural features of St.

John's Chapel shown in the photo.

And number two, choose one feature and add details to explain its significance.

For example, the wide aisle allowed the chapel to be used for religious processions.

Pause the video while you complete these tasks and then press play when you're done and ready for some feedback.

Welcome back.

Firstly, I asked you to label three architectural features of St.

John's Chapel as shown in the photo.

Well done if you pointed out any of the following: the high vaulted ceiling, the triforium, the 12 stone columns with decorated capitals, the arcade of arches, the semi-circular apse, or the Caen stone construction.

Next, I asked you to choose one feature and add details to explain its significance.

You may have answered that the high vaulted ceiling makes the chapel seem bigger and more imposing; that the triforium is a gallery above the nave, which could be used for musicians; the style of decoration on the pillar capitals changes, marking a pause in the chapel's construction in the 1080s; the arcade of arches is typical of the strong, powerful Romanesque style; the apse creates a sense of being in the eastern end of a much larger church; and the use of pale Caen stone adds a sense of spirituality and light to the chapel.

Really well done there.

With that task done, we're ready to move on to the second part of our lesson today where we'll be learning about the specifics of the role of St.

John's Chapel.

William I commissions St.

John's Chapel as his private chapel and presumably planned to use it for personal prayer and for family masses.

This is how William's successors used it, and historians note that it would've been used in this way by other noble residents of the tower, including the castellan or keeper of the tower, later known as the constable, when the king was not in residence.

Unfortunately, for William, he died before the chapel was completed, but historians can see from the chapel's design how William planned for the chapel to make a public statement, as well as providing him and his family with a suitable location for private worship.

There was a space in the chapel for larger public acts of worship, such as religious processions down the wide aisle, and indeed the chapel went on to be used for important feudal services throughout the Mediaeval period.

It's important that the apse of the chapel is visible from the exterior of the White Tower.

Londoners and foreign visitors would've immediately recognised the semi-circular shape from other churches and would've known that its location at the eastern corner of the tower symbolised its religious function since altars are traditionally placed on the east side of churches.

The reason for this is that the sun rises in the east and Christianity has always made the connection between the rising sun and Jesus Christ's resurrection and the second coming.

As a result, the White Tower sent a strong message that the Normans were in military control of England, but they also had God's blessing because of their piety or dedication to religion.

Now let's have a go at the following multiple choice question.

What were the two main purposes of the Chapel of St.

John in the White Tower? Select two correct answers from: A, to demonstrate the piety of the Normans? B, to protect the White Tower in the event of a siege? Or C, to give the noble and royal residence somewhere to pray? Pause the video while you select the two answers that you believe to be correct based on what we've just heard, and then press play on this video when you are ready to continue with our lesson.

Welcome back, and well done if you selected A and C.

Although the Chapel of St.

John the Evangelist was designed to impress the public as well as for private worship, ordinary people who worked in the White Tower would not have used it as their place of worship.

Instead, they used the Church of St.

Peter ad Vincula, the parish Church of the Tower of London.

This church may have been founded before the Norman invasion, so before the White Tower was built, though historians are unsure because it was completely rebuilt in the 16th century.

It may also have been founded by Henry I who began using it rather than St.

John's Chapel for services where he wanted the public to see him at prayer.

Now let's have a go at another multiple choice question.

Who would've worshipped in the Chapel of St.

John if they resided in the White Tower? Select two answers from: A, non-nobles who lived and worked in the White Tower? B, nobles who lived in the White Tower like the keeper? Or C, members of the royal family, including the king? As ever, pause the video while you select the two answers that you believe to be correct based on what we've just been learning about, and then press play when you are ready to continue with the lesson.

Welcome back, and well done if you selected B and C.

And for our second and final written task today, I'd like you using your learning so far to consider the following statement.

The most important consideration in the construction and design of St.

John's Chapel was to give William somewhere to worship.

I'd like you to write two paragraphs to agree with this view.

Try to include at least two pieces of evidence per paragraph.

Once again, pause this video while you complete this task and then press play for some feedback in the form of a two-paragraph model answer.

Welcome back.

I asked you to write two paragraphs to agree with the following statement.

The most important consideration in the construction and design of St.

John's Chapel was to give William somewhere to worship.

Well done if you managed to include any of the following in your answer.

The most important consideration in the construction and design of St.

John's Chapel was to provide William with a private place of worship.

William I commissioned the chapel as his personal chapel for prayer.

It's used by other noble residents of the tower, such as the castellan or keeper of the tower when the king was not in residence, further emphasises its role as a private space.

Furthermore, ordinary people who worked in the White Tower would not have used the chapel.

Instead, they used the church St.

Peter ad Vincula further showing its intent as a private space for William.

Additionally, the design of the chapel included areas for intimate worship and family services, showing that its primary function was to cater to the spiritual needs of the king and his close associates.

Finally, its intended use for private worship for William is reflected in the potential space for a throne at the western end of the chapel.

Despite William's death before its completion, the chapel's intended use for personal worship by the king and his successors underscores its importance as a place of private devotion.

Really well done there because with that task complete, we've arrived at the end of our lesson today, and all that's left for us to do is to summarise our key learning points, and it would be great if you could remember these going forward.

Firstly, as well as its military and administrative functions and its role as a royal residence, the White Tower also had a religious function.

Secondly, the Chapel of St.

John was designed to be part of the White Tower from the start and was constructed to resemble the holiest part of a church in the Norman's favourite Romanesque style.

And finally, although it was intended primarily for the private religious worship of the king and his family, it was also designed to be used for public ceremonies and to impress visitors.

Thank you so much for joining me for our lesson today.

It's been a real pleasure to guide you through our history learning resources, and I very much look forward to seeing you again in the future for more history lessons.