Further reading

Aelred of Rievaulx and the nun of Watton: an episode in the early history of the Gilbertine order by Giles Constable in Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker (published for the Ecclesiastical History Society by Basil Blackwell, 1978)

The Book of St Gilbert by Raymonde Foreville and Gillian Keir (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1987)

Gilbert of Sempringham and the Gilbertine Order c1130-c1300 by Brian Golding (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995)

Monasteries in the Landscape by Mick Aston (Tempus, 2000) £14.99
Mick explains how and why monasticism developed in Britain and why monasteries were placed where they were. This book also takes a look outside the monastery at the agricultural, industrial and commercial activities of monks and friars.

Discovering Abbeys and Priories by Geoffrey Wright (Shire, 1998) paperback £5.99
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.

Abbeys and Priories by Glyn Coppack (Batsford/English Heritage, 1990) paperback £15.99
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.

Medieval Monasteries by J Patrick Greene (Leicester University Press, 1992) paperback £19.99
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. Clearly written, with no architectural or ecclesiastical jargon.

Life in a Medieval Abbey by Tony McAleavy (English Heritage, 1996) paperback £6.95
Colourful picture book explaining monasticism in simple terms, from a ‘who’s who’ of medieval monks to an evaluation of the political role of the Church in medieval England. Distinguished from other guides by some brilliant reconstruction paintings.