The rolling green hills, the bright blue sky, the shining sun, the wind in our faces: all of these greeted us at Castle Acre. Here we also found the ruins of a Norman castle and Priory (monastery) which was built about 1088. Dr. Mike Franklin, a fellow at Hughes Hall and expert in medieval studies, hosted us on this wonderful trip to the countryside. We climbed the green hills and scaled the remaining walls of the castle. It was amazing to think of how grand this castle must have once been. It was also nice just to take in the beauty of the sunny day and fresh air, which we don¹t always have a chance to do.
After our frolic in the remnants of the castle, we moved on to the priory. This was built in the 1140s by the owner of the Castle, William de Warren, the son of a man by the same name who came over with William the Conqueror. Dr. Franklin told us that it was highly fashionable at the time for an aristocrat to build a monastery. Not only would it be a source of income but could also bring the builder closer to God. The Priory was a community in itself which housed less than 50 men. The monks had their own chapel, housing facilities and self-sufficient means of food. Much of this priory, too, has been destroyed over time, but some rooms remain intact and the frame of the building and structure can still be seen.
After the Priory, we met for a tour of the fourteenth-century village church. Once inside, Mike Franklin gave us a bit of a background on medieval churches and then we took our time walking around and looking at different areas of this church. It was a very informative yet relaxing day.