On Friday the group met Hilary Black from the Lewes Priory Trust for the first time.

After introductions she showed us around the Priory Herb Garden and explained about the different beds for growing cooking, medicinal, beer and port herbs.

We then saw the area we will actually be working on in order to plant the planned natural hawthorn hedge.

This planting conforms to English Heritage rules on re-planting using original agricultural methods and medieval strains of plants/seeds.

We were then taken over the ruins of the Priory itself - seeing the Infirmary, chapel, dining hall and the remains of Europe’s largest toilets, where 100 monks had a cubicle to themselves.

No excuse for being late to Mass then !

The group had many questions - Hilary was very informative throughout this first introduction

Our hard graft will start on our next session, when it’s all hands to the spade(s)