Abbey herb hunts stave off holiday blues

"In medieval times, people who got ill would have very limited access to medical support," explains regional marketing manager, Nicola Bexon.

"The 'doctors' were often little more than quacks, prescribing some horrific treatments, and, for monks at the Abbey, the local wise woman would have been off limits, as they were thought to be witches.

"However, many of the traditional remedies known by the wise woman would also be employed by monks who understood that certain plants would help with particular illnesses. They would frequently grow a wide range of herbs within the grounds of the abbey so that they always had a stock of medicinal herbs to hand."

Remedies included Hearts Ease, used to treat skin rashes, bruising and swelling and Scabious, whose sky blue flowers were crushed and used in ointments to stop itching and heal the skin.

Fennel was made into a tea which soothes hunger pangs. Mint was not only used in cooking, but also to relieve sickness, and protect the food store, because mice dislike the aroma.

The Herb Trail runs daily from 10am-6pm.