The Medieval Monastery

by Roger Rosewell

Monasteries are among the most intriguing and enduring symbols of England's medieval heritage. Simultaneously places of prayer and spirituality, power and charity, learning and invention, illusion and superstition, they survive today as haunting ruins, great houses and as some of our most important cathedrals and churches.

This book examines the growth of monasticism and the different orders of monks; the architecture and administration of monasteries, the daily life of monks and nuns, the art of monasteries and their libraries, their role in caring for the poor and sick, their power and wealth, their decline and suppression, their ruin and rescue.

Many of Britain's greatest churches, including Westminster Abbey, Canterbury, Durham and Gloucester cathedrals were once monasteries. So too were some of Britain's most evocative and awe-inspiring ruins such as Fountain's Abbey in Yorkshire and Tintern Abbey in Wales. This book tells the story of devotion, work and prayer behind those magnificent edifices.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Christianity

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Medieval Monastery
By Roger Rosewell
Reviewed June 23, 2022


The Medieval Monastery is a short book, less than 100 pages in length. If you’re looking for some an in depth look at the monastery system during the Middle Ages, this isn’t it. If, however, what you want is a quick, easy to understand overview, if you’re wanting to know your Carthusians from your Cistercians, or if the monk who greets you at the gate is the porter or the cellarer, then this is the perfect book for you.

This covers the four main monastic orders – Benedictine, Cluniac, Carthusian and Cistercian – and explains their origins, their similarities, and their differences. It also explains how monasteries were designed and managed (please note that access to a good water supply was essential).

Various members of a monastery’s administrative staff and their duties are described. There’s the abbot (the head man), the prior (the abbot’s second in command), the novicemaster, the cellarer (in charge of supplies), the chamberlain (looked after domestic matters), the sacrist (responsible for the upkeep of the church), the precentor (directed the church services), the infirmarer (cared for the sick), and the almoner (administered the charitable side of the monastery’s work).

We also have the typical day in the life of a monk, from Divine Offices to tasks of manual labor, and yes, they even were allowed some personal time.

And we mustn’t forget the distaff side, with a chapter spent on the nuns and their convents.

Quick and easy to read, this is a great little reference book for anyone interested in the Middle Ages, and a good introduction for those who don’t know much about these early religious institutions but would like to know more.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction the monastic life in England during the medieval period up to the Dissolution. In total the book is 80 pages which includes a list for further reading and one for places to visit.

It includes a brief section on nunneries and the gradual closures of the Dissolution. Also included are several images of the cathedrals, abbeys, art, and treasures found within each building. There is also

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A relatively brief overview of English monasteries

I greatly enjoyed the author's writing for his clarity and his very readable style. The sections of the book were ideal in explaining the aspects of how monasteries differed by types, ie. Benedictine, and over time ranging from early to late medieval periods. I have visited some of the monastery ruins in England. Wish I had read this book before the visits. This book would be a good choice for a reader who would like an introduction to this area.

[Jaide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Albert Einstein said “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t know it well enough.” Roger Rosewell gives a good, detailed overview of monastic life in the UK. The best thing was the comprehensive daily life of monks. Very readable.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected this book to be more than what it was. Rather, it was a very simplistic overview of monasteries - and not entirely of the medieval period.

[Bill38silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tidy book cramming in lots of interesting detail in its 80 pages. Plenty of these pages have splendid photos of what is left today of many of the buildings in question. The author knows his stuff and I liked some of the human examples given of particular aspects of monastic life.

This is intended as an overview so, for example, the content is light in some aspects of monasteries particularly the massive change caused by the Dissolution. However, the book succeeds very well as an introduction to novices in the subject and leaves it to others, listed in the helpful section of Further Reading, the more dedicated examination of the (mostly) ins and outs of the monastery movement.

[Ursy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. A speedy account of what it says on the cover, providing a genuinely sound background of the medieval monastery that doesn’t seem to lack detail. Rosewell writes clearly, and manages to hold back from detail unsuited to such a short account. At times some terms might have been better explained, but on the whole this was a great non-fiction read.

[April Munday · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful introduction to life in a medieval monastery.

[Timothy Neesam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief history of medieval monasteries in the U.K., with an emphasis on architecture and living practice. Lots of pictures. An enjoyable read though not an in-depth account. Probably most appropriate for a young audience.

[Geoff Nemec · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and informative read

Easy to read and appears very well research. I am pretty sure this book has been used by authors of novels relating to monastic thrillers.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for research into a horror novel I'm brainstorming that is set in a Medieval Cistercian monastery. Very compact; great primer for someone who knows literally nothing about this topic (e.g., me).