Hands on History Family Fun Day At St Marys Priory

The newly established St Mary’s Priory Learning Service put on a range of free taster activities, funded by NIACE, designed to let families have fun and enjoy learning together in the beautiful setting of the recently restored 14th Century Tithe Barn.

 

The free family learning workshops took place across the day, with over 125 people coming through the doors.

 

Children had a go at Tapestry Stitching with Janet Jones and Sheila Bevan, two of the leading lights behind the amazing 25ft long Abergavenny Tapestry. The Clay Gargoyle Making workshop, led by former Art teacher Christine Scott, was so popular that The Tithe Barn put on a second workshop to cope with the numbers. Almost twenty gargoyles were created, in a stunning variety of styles, to go out into the community and help safeguard it! Even the rain didn’t prevent a few families from trying their hand at Battledore, the medieval forerunner of Badminton, using hand-made replica equipment.

 

As ever the Medieval and Tudor Clothes trying on session was very popular. Children and adults were able to look at and try on the brilliant replica Tudor clothes, made by a team of volunteers led by Rosemary Carter, using authentic styles, techniques materials and colours.

 

Brother Bartholomew, retired head teacher John Bartlett, guided groups of children in the art of the monastic scribe using medieval quill pen and ink. Continuing the monastic traditions of St Mary’s the Herbal Soap making, led by Frere Jacques D’Ormes et Vue, was also oversubscribed, as families uses traditional techniques and natural herb and plant ingredients to make Tudor soapballs to take home.

 

In commenting on the event families praised the “Excellent organisation and fun activities”, and called for “More days like these!”