The Great Court

The Great Court. . In the Middle Ages, this area was a huge open courtyard with access to all of the working areas of the abbey. People, horses and carts would have been coming and going all day., Ahead of you were the courtroom, the guest house, and the cellarer's department with the kitchens and larders. On either side of the Abbey Gate were the stables and almonry. Leftovers from the abbey's tables were distributed to the poor in the almonry, and on feast days they were given apples, pears and pancakes., Along the north precinct wall behind you were the bakehouse, brewhouse, granaries and storerooms. Every day, 94 loaves were baked for the whole abbey community. and 82 gallons of beer were brewed for the servants alone. The monks sent 96 gallons each week to the nuns of Thetford Priory. To your left was the Abbot's Palace, where the most important guests would have stayed., Abbey Gardens , In 1831, botanical enthusey Nathaniel Hodson began transfoming the former abbey grounds into a botanical garden (left). Over the years, the various plant species from around the world were replaced with the more poplar ornamental planting that you see today. In 1912, the borough council took over the gardens and they became free for the public enjoy., Below: Views of the Great Court in 1735. The top image relates to the view in front of you. It shows the remains of the cellarer's buildings and to the right you can see St James's Church (now St Edmundsbury Cathedral). The bottom image is the view to your left, showing the ruined Abbot's Palace. , From the Collection of Peter Prideaux-Brune Esq., Prideaux Place, Padstow.