The Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban
Through role play we tell the story of Alban, saint and martyr. The children will then explore the building searching for Alban's image. The link with the Roman City of Verulamium where Alban lived is emphasised through the recycled Roman bricks with which the Norman Abbey was built.
This trail starts with children being put into role as monks in St Albans Abbey in the first half of the sixteenth century. With the help of costume, badges, music and the building itself, the children can begin to understand the life of the cloister and the experience of those who had lived there for all their adult life. But the year is 1537 and change is in the air. Disturbing rumours from other religious houses in England fill the monks with fear and despondency. The group moves round the Abbey looking at the treasury, the nave altar, the wall paintings, statues, glass, brasses, the shrine itself – indeed all those things it knows to be particularly vulnerable.
There is a change of Abbot. Tension rises. The monks are called to an extraordinary chapter meeting and discuss how best to respond to the almost inevitable dissolution of their monastery. A peaceful response is decided upon – the monks remove their scapulars and receive their pensions. The building itself however is treated with violence and experiences dramatic change. It becomes very clear that Henry's longing for a son, his desperate need for money and his interest in the religious reformers of his day have together wreaked havoc on St Albans Abbey and the town around it.
The trail enables pupils to gain an insight into how hard life was to live in town and country during the Middle Ages. It provides opportunities for pupils to investigate the impact of the Black Death upon both the town of St Albans and the monks of the Abbey and the differences in opinions that the resulting conflicts created.
The year is 1349 and through role play pupil's re-enact the extraordinary events that surrounded the Abbey as the plague rages through St Albans. Monks and tradesmen clamour around the door of the Abbey to air their grievances as the newly appointed Abbot, Thomas de la Mare arrives back from his audience with the Pope. He returns to find a picture of disease, death and despair.
This trail introduces children to the idea of invasion and settlement using the Roman site of Verulamium as a starting point. The trails begins with the story of Alban and the children will consider life in this Roman settlement and, through role play, will act the story of St Alban. They will then move on to consider other invasions - Saxon & Norman - and the resulting settlers, again using the building and role play to interpret these changes in St Albans.
At the end of this trail the children will make a time-line, using the Roman brick passing through the centuries and still visible today in the Norman Pillars of the nave of the Abbey.
Together we look at the key pieces of furniture in the building and use them as springboards for exploring the way Christians worship. Through the font, lectern and pulpit, altar and shrine we can start to understand what happens in this sacred place.
We will explore Christian baptism, the Eucharist, candles and music and some may even become a bishop dressed in vestments and seated in the Cathedra.
St Albans Cathedral is a wonderful building in which to enjoy and have fun with Maths. This trail is based upon Measuring and Shape and Pattern. It enables the children to experience a number of different approaches to problem-solving and they will be able to use trundle-wheels, electronic devices, helium balloons and their own bodies. The size and the age of the building offer endless scope for this subject area not possible in the classroom environment.
Wearing a scapular and given a particular monastic office each child becomes a monk in the Benedictine house here in St Albans. They will vote for an Abbott who will lead the Monks in a chapter meeting and through role play they will learn about monastic life in this medieval monastery.
The trail begins by considering the idea that pilgrimage is a religious journey and that these journeys can be made for a variety of reasons. The pupils will then be roled as medieval Pilgrims and given a costume and a gift to help them create a story behind their journey. The trail will end at the shrine of St Alban a major site of pilgrimage for 1700 years.
The Cathedral is alive with symbolism, and throughout this trail we will examine the way they are used by Christians. Beginning with the shape and size of the building we will work out the messages that these symbols give and try to decode their significance to worship.
In this trail the children are equipped with a set of nineteenth century photographs taken when the building was in a terrible state of repair. They will explore the Cathedral both inside and out to evaluate the changes made to the structure and decoration. This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage historical interpretation and historical enquiry.
This begins in the Lady Chapel of the Cathedral, the site of an actual Victorian School. Children discuss how schooling has changed and are prepared for their experience in the Victorian Classroom. Once in the classroom they are taught in silence by stern teachers who instruct them in the 3 R's. They practice copperplate handwriting on slates, chant tables, learn grammar, a drill and experience an object lesson. We like to encourage staff and pupils to arrive in Victorian dress to further enhance the role play.
Using toy and game artefacts, the children become historical detectives to explore play in the Victorian age. They will explore the contrast between toys owned by the rich and poor of society, and consider what the toys were made of and how they work. The children will then make a Victorian style Thaumotrope of their own to take home.