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Year 10
AQA

The function of Castle Acre Priory

I can explain the different functions of Castle Acre Priory.

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Year 10
AQA

The function of Castle Acre Priory

I can explain the different functions of Castle Acre Priory.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The priory was established as a centre for religious worship.
  2. The priory needed to accommodate a community of Cluniac monks.
  3. The priory's religious function was to benefit everyone, but the de Warennes in particular.
  4. The priory also had the political function of increasing Norman control over Norfolk.
  5. The priory also had important economic and administrative functions.

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

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.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: The function of Castle Acre Priory, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Students could work in groups to recap ways in which William I gained control over England.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In what style did the Normans build monasteries in England?
Correct Answer: Romanesque
Q2.
Norman monasteries were often decorated with distinctive patterns.
Correct Answer: chevron, geometric
Q3.
What does the architectural feature called an 'arcade' look like?
Correct answer: multiple arches built next to each other in a row
an enclosed garden
a high ceiling
stone statues in a row
Q4.
What was built inside Castle Acre Priory to allow more monks to conduct more services and longer periods of worship?
cloisters
Correct answer: apses
a domitory
a scriptorium
Q5.
How was the cloister designed for reading and writing?
Correct answer: 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.
Q6.
Which room did the monks use for their studies during the winter months?
the infirmary
Correct answer: the scriptorium
the chapel
the refectory

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Castle Acre Priory was set up to accommodate a community of monks from the order.
Correct Answer: Cluniac
Q2.
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
Correct answer: to seek God's forgiveness for sin
to ask God to defeat England's enemies
Q3.
In addition to its religious function, the work done by monks in the scriptorium meant Castle Acre Priory was also a centre for Christian ...
Correct Answer: learning, study, education, knowledge, writing
Q4.
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.
Correct answer: 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.
Q5.
The of Castle Acre Priory had a lot of political power.
Correct Answer: Prior
Q6.
Castle Acre Priory increased power and control in Norfolk.
Correct Answer: Norman

Additional material

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