A minstrels' gallery is a form of balcony, often inside the great hall of a castle or manor house, and used to allow musicians (originally minstrels) to perform, sometimes discreetly hidden from the guests below. A rare example of a minstrels' gallery in a sacred setting can be found in Exeter Cathedral. It is not clear why the term "musicians' gallery" has not been used here, as minstrels were always secular performers and would therefore have been forbidden from performing in a liturgical context.
