Makeover for monk's garden
ENGLISH Heritage has delved into medieval herb-lore to breathe new life into a monk's garden at Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton.
The fragrant plot, within the walls of a 600 year-old monk's cell, was recreated 11 years ago after laying fallow for centuries. Once it would have provided its Carthusian monk with everything from a cure for flatulence to foliage for masking unpleasant smells.
Now scores of new varieties have been planted in a major revamp, re-creating the atmosphere and pungent scents of those far-off days.
Head custodian Becki Wright said: "Herbs were incredibly important in medieval times and we know that many Carthusian monks were keen gardeners.
"While we can't be sure exactly what was cultivated at Mount Grace, we do have a fair idea and some of the varieties we have planted would certainly have been here."
Hundreds of plants have been laid out according to their uses in religious rites, medicines and cooking.
Among the herbs replanted are: Fennel – used to suppress hunger and eaten during the Lent fast; Rue – sprinkled on holy water during Mass and thought to protect from the plague; Hyssop – thought to drive away evil and used in Chartreuse liqueur; and Sweet Woodruff and Marjoram – used to mask unpleasant smells in the church.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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