Kids
An illustration of a medieval bishop and nuns

 

Medieval Monasteries

Religion was very important to people living in medieval England, and most people were Catholic Christians. Some wanted to dedicate their life to serving God, so became monks and nuns. Inside monasteries, they spent each day praying to God and living a simple life. They gave up their wealth and family, cared for the sick, helped the poor, welcomed travellers, looked after animals, grew food and even brewed beer – phew!

But what was life like in a medieval monastery? Scroll down this page to find out!

 

Abbey Attack!

It’s 1537 and King Henry VIII has ordered his officials to demolish Furness Abbey and raid its belongings for valuable items.

Can you spot all eight things on our list? Tap or click below to start searching.

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What did medieval monks eat?

Did you know that for most of the year, monks had only one main meal a day? 

Find out what's on the menu at Cleeve Abbey in the 15th century, and download our poster to colour in your own meal-time scene. Then design your own modern menu for a monk!

Feast your eyes...

A spotter's guide to... Abbeys and Priories

In medieval England, monks and nuns lived in monastic communities at abbeys and priories. Today, you can still visit many of these historical places, so grab a pencil, download our spotter's guide and head to your nearest English Heritage site to explore a marvellous monastery!

Download the guide

Could you live like a Carthusian monk?

Could you live by the strict monastic vows of a Carthusian monk? Take our fun quiz to find out whether you would make a good monk or nun!

Take the quiz!

Read Kids Rule! online

Read Kids Rule! magazine to learn about life was like for monks and nuns living in medieval monasteries, abbeys and priories!

The Kids Rule! magazine series follows the history of England, to help you discover more about the past through fun facts, illustrated stories, games, puzzles and competitions.

Image: A church with gravestones in front of it at night

Terrifying Tales!

Monks and nuns loved scaring each other with spooky tales, and hundreds of ghost stories survive from the Middle Ages. Some of the best ones were written down by a monk who lived at Byland Abbey in North Yorkshire, in around 1400. Discover what medieval ghosts were like (and what to do if you meet one), plus some spooky stories connected to English Heritage sites!

Explore the spooky stories

Colour a medieval monastery poster!

We've created a series of posters showing how people lived in England through the ages, like this one showing life in a medieval monastery. Each of the posters follows on from each other, so that when you download them all from the Kids Rule! pages, you can create your own mega timeline of English history!

Download your poster