The English Abbey

Originally published in 1935, The English Abbey sees celebrated architectural historian Frederick Herbert Crossley look beyond the masonry and arches to describe the inner workings of the abbey, a way of life central to English society until its eventual suppression and destruction at the hands of Henry VIII. After recounting the history of monasteries and the various orders of monks and nuns, The English Abbey describes the people found inside, from the all-powerful Abbot to the lowliest novice. Chapters cover the buildings' location, construction and architecture, their management and maintenance, with the many different jobs and offices required to keep an abbey running smoothly, and the highly regulated daily rhythms of a life which revolved around services. Illustrated throughout with black and white photographs and drawings showing some of England's finest examples, The English Abbey is a revealing and highly informative work of both architectural and social history.