What are some similarities and differences of medieval monasteries?
(In the UK) Some were different denominations obviously – Franciscan Benedictine etc so you need to define those. Some operated as Hospitals, others as inns (ie hospitality) – many had commercial interests. Maybe look at some specific ones – Fountains, Rievaulx, Bylands etc in the North of England, and others like Holywell Priory, and Spitalfields in London. (Another difference some were in the wilds of the countryside – others in the town – The Covent Garden area of London an obvious clue – but St James’s Palace was a Leper colony when it was a monastery. There is much about what the houses were like at the time they were all closed down (1539 onwards) which gives us an interesting record of what was going on – and an inventory of their estates – much of which would be relevant to the Medieval period. Lots on line about these – so Google around and you’ll have more material than you know what to do with.
