Sent back to Coventry
8 March 2001

Find out more

This website contains links to other websites which are not under the control of and are not maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

Other websites
Coventry and its cathedral
Peter Barton has worked as both a web designer and photographer, and it shows in his website on the city of Coventry. This includes concise, well-presented pages on the city's history (www.exponet.co.uk/peter/default.asp) and its modern-day cathedral (www.exponet.co.uk/peter/cathedral/default.asp). Further information, including a brief history, can be obtained from the Coventry Cathedral website at www.coventrycathedral.org/.

Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral, which Tony Robinson visited in search of an indication of how the original Coventry Cathedral may have looked when it was built, has a splendid setting and a fascinating history. Its three spires are unique amongst medieval cathedrals and are often referred to as the 'Ladies of the Vale'. Lichfield City Council's website provides information on its history at www.lichfield.gov.uk/lcc-cathedral-early.html, and the cathedral itself has details of its history, together with a floor plan and photo album at www.lichfield-cathedral.org/.

Other cathedrals
If your interest in cathedrals covers a wider area than this, the Britain Express 'online travel magazine' supplies a handy A–Z of British cathedrals with basic information and photos, plus some links, at www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/Cathedrals/Cathedrals1.htm. There is also an excellent virtual tour of Durham Cathedral at www.dur.ac.uk/Law/c_tour/cathedral.html; all you are ever likely to want to know about Canterbury Cathedral at www.digiserve.com/peter/cc.htm; and more than 100 pages about York Minster at www.yorkminster.org/index1.htm.

Catholic Encyclopedia
A special mention may be appropriate here for one of the internet's growing encyclopedic resources. The Catholic Encyclopedia at www.newadvent.org/cathen/ is a remarkable compendium of historical, religious and other information, which provides a rich factual resource, albeit with an obvious Catholic emphasis. It has, among very much else, detailed encyclopedic reports, with thoroughly researched linked sections to matters of related interest, on Henry VIII (at www.newadvent.org/cathen/07222a.htm) and the dissolution (called here the suppression) of the monasteries (www.newadvent.org/cathen/10455a.htm). There is access to the encyclopedia's index from every page, so you can browse further to your heart's content.

Abbeys and Cathedrals in England and Wales
It's hard, though to beat Britannia's Abbeys and Cathedrals in England and Wales at www.britannia.com/church/cath.html, which has illustrated pages and links for every cathedral in the two countries as well as historical and other information.

Further reading

Monasteries in the Landscape by Mick Aston (Original, Batsford, 2nd edition, Tempus, 1993/2000) hardback/paperback £18.99/£14.99 ISBN: 0152419013/0752414917
This is a revised, rewritten and extensively updated edition of Mick's 1993 Monasteries book (long out of print) that focused on the place of the monasteries in the British landscape. In this new book, Mick explains how and why monasticism developed in Britain and why monasteries were placed where they were. The study looks beyond the closed world of the monastery, abbey or priory to examine their agricultural, industrial and commercial activities, which had a huge impact on the surrounding countryside and towns.

Monasteries and Religious Orders in Britain 1000–1300 edited by Janet Burton (Cambridge, 1994) hardback/paperback £45.00/£15.95 ISBN: 0521374413/0521377978
This work traces the development of monasticism in England, Scotland and Wales from the last half century of Anglo-Saxon England to 1300. It explores the nature of the impact of the Norman settlement on monastic life, and how Britain responded to new, European ideas on the monastic life. In particular, it examines Britain's response to the needs of religious women. It covers every aspect of the life and work of the religious orders: their daily life, the buildings in which they lived, their contribution to intellectual developments and to the economy. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between religious houses and their founders and patrons. This shows the degree of dependence of religious houses on local patrons. Indeed, one major theme which emerges from the book is the constant tension between the ideals of monastic communities and the demands of the world.

Recording a Church: An illustrated glossary, 3rd ed by Thomas Cocke et al. (Council for British Archaeology, 1996) paperback £6.50 ISBN: 0906780845
An invaluable reference book, giving illustrated definitions of 500 terms used to describe church architecture and furniture.

English Heritage Book of Abbeys and Priories by Glyn Coppack (Batsford/English Heritage, 1990) paperback £15.99 ISBN: 0713463090
This well-illustrated introduction to the archaeology of monasteries explains the development of the variations on the familiar layout of church and cloisters; it discusses the monastic precincts and such fundamental topics as the drainage and sanitation.

Cathedrals and Abbeys of England by The Dean of Norwich (Jarrold Publishing, 1999) paperback £7.95 ISBN: 0711710031
Illustrated introductory guide.

The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages by Alain Erlande-Brandenburg (Thames and Hudson, 1995) paperback £6.95 ISBN: 0500300526
A colour-illustrated handbook/guide to the history of cathedral building in medieval Europe. Shows how they were built, by whom, for whom and how they were financed together with documentary sources.

Contemplation and action: the other monasticism by Roberta Gilchrist (Pinter Publishing, 1995) hardback $110.00 ISBN: 071851730X.
The author explores the archaeology of a range of religious vocations and associated settlements that were integral to medieval British life but have attracted little interest from modern scholars. Among them are hospitals, preceptories of the military orders, monasteries for women, and hermitages. She combines material evidence with the historical record to consider the relationship of monasteries to belief, gender, membership, patronage, and a sense of liminality or otherness. Well illustrated in black and white.

Medieval Monasteries by Jeremy Patrick Greene (Leicester University Press, 1992 new edition 1994) paperback £19.99 ISBN: 071852229X
A good overview of the archaeological (and literary) evidence for monastic houses in Britain in the Middle Ages and life within them with frequent reference to important sites. Everything from the layout of buildings to the diet and drinking habits of the monks who inhabited them is covered in this wide-ranging book. The archaeology is put in the context of the complex history of monasticism in Britain, from its origins on isolated islands to the dissolution of corrupt and wealthy monastic estates in the 16th century under Henry VIII. Clearly written, with no architectural or ecclesiastical jargon.

The Stone Skeleton: Structural engineering of masonry architecture by Jacques Heyman (Cambridge University Press, 1997) paperback £12.95 ISBN: 0521629632
Explores in scientific detail the structural action of stone buildings, considering among other questions, how the flying buttress of a Gothic cathedral can transfer weight to the foundations and the effect of wind on a spire or bell-ringing on a tower.

Medieval Monasticism by C H Lawrence (Longman Higher Education, 2000) paperback £15.99 ISBN: 0582404274
Although monasticism still exists in the present-day, it is no longer the prominent feature of the social landscape that it was in medieval times: for a thousand years the monasteries and religious orders played a major role in the society, economy and the culture of the West, and the service they rendered to European civilisation is incalculable. Moreover, richly endowed by kings and magnates, the great monastic houses and their leaders figured as much on the political, as on the spiritual, map of the medieval world. Ranging across Europe and the Middle East, this book reconstructs the internal life, experience and aims of the medieval cloister. It also explores the many-sided relationships between the monasteries and the secular world from which they drew recruits. This third edition contains new thoughts and perspectives. Key features include: a revamp of the material on the Friars, as a result of Lawrence's work on the subject; an update of the material on the Cistercians; and a section on monastery food.

Guided by a Stone-Mason: The Cathedrals, Abbeys and Churches of Britain Unveiled by Thomas Maude (I B Tauris, 1997) paperback £8.95 ISBN: 1860640397
Visiting historic buildings is one of Britain's most popular pursuits. Visitors, however, are often frustrated by existing guidebooks, which assume much prior knowledge of architectural history and terms. This book presents a new look at cathedrals, abbeys and churches through the eyes of the experienced stonemason, Thomas Maude. He uses historical and technical information, colourful anecdotes and his knowledge of building structures and techniques to convey the excitement which they hold in store.

Life in a Medieval Abbey by Tony McAleavy (English Heritage, 1996) paperback £6.95 ISBN: 1850745927.
This illustrated introduction to monasteries aims to explain how and why monasticism established itself in Britain and elsewhere and to show what monastic life was like in the Middle Ages. Concise descriptions, scenes from illuminated manuscripts and diagrams reconstruct daily life in an abbey, the turbulent history of monasteries, their place in the medieval economy and landscape and their dissolution.

Discovering Cathedrals by David Pepin (Shire, 1994) paperback £6.99 ISBN: 0747801738
An introductory guide in the popular Shire series.

Medieval England: a social history and archaeology from the Conquest to 1600 AD by Colin Platt (Routledge, 1997) paperback £18.99 ISBN: 0415129133
Colin Platt has the knack of weaving the varied sources of history into a convincing and readable tale. Here, he ranges from the Domesday Book through castles, cathedrals and monasteries to social issues such as the Black Death, social unrest and life in the towns. Well written and beautifully illustrated.

The Abbeys and Priories of Medieval England by Colin Platt (Fordham University Press, 1985) hardback, £27.95 ISBN: 0823211177
Standard text. A vivid and meticulous account of medieval monasticism in all its aspects.

Life in a Medieval Monastery by Renzo Rossi (tr Erika Paoli) (House of Stratus, 2000) paperback £6.99 ISBN: 1842320793.

Discovering Abbeys and Priories by Geoffrey Wright (Shire, 1998) paperback £5.99 ISBN: 0747802459
The new edition of this user-friendly handbook clarifies the difference between abbeys and priories, traces the history of monasteries from Anglo-Saxon times to the dissolution, and describes the different monastic orders. Considerable reference is made to sites open to the public.

Back to Coventry

Back to the Time Team Past programmes page

Back to the 2001 series page