PUPILS from a Romsey school delved into history when they visited a town abbey.

Year 5 children who attend Romsey Abbey C of E Primary School, Church Lane, spent the day in Romsey Abbey and were treated to a sleepover in the ancient building.

Children were given a guided tour of the building by the abbey’s churchwarden, Chris Pritchard, who brought to life the abbey's history.

Year 5 class teacher, Lisa O’Donohoe, said: "This has been a really exciting experience for the pupils – the Abbey is a great classroom and the children did lots of leaning and had a great time too.

"Our pupils are used to coming into the Abbey for services and for some lessons, but to spend a whole day in the Abbey including sleeping over is one the pupils will remember for a long time.”

She added: "We all took part in a kinetic and sound drawing workshop with Elizabeth Hammond, a local artist and also a parent of the school.

"The workshop involved using our whole body and creating large movements and these movements were repeated to build up the colours; charcoal and chalk were used to create this art.

"We listened to music and moved our chalk/charcoal according to music’s rhythm. This event was part of 'The Big Draw Festival 2019'.

"The children also did some sketching work, with a focus on perspective, so learning to make realistic drawings of the Abbey.”

Pupils even had the chance to marvel at the bells in the ringing chamber during the visit.

One pupil said: "We had to climb over a hundred steps up a very narrow spiral staircase to reach the ringing chamber.

"We loved exploring, seeing out over Romsey from the very high windows and ringing the bells was great fun but not as easy as it looks."

Headteacher, Julie-Anne Plafrey, who was one of the adults supporting the Year 5 sleep over, said: "The day finished with an lovely, calm evening service led by Revd. Thomas Wharton, Vicar of Romsey, before the pupils wrote memory postcards to look at again at the end of the year.

"We were all proud of the pupils for taking such an active part in their own learning and engaging so well in all the activities.”

They visited the abbey on October 23.