While driving to Bath I stop at Cleeve Abbey, which was a Cistercian abbey founded around 1190. Cistercians were named because of their clothes of undyed wool (white monks), after Citeaux in Burgandy. Their day, beginning at 2AM, consisted of 8 or 9 periods of worship and 4 hours of work before retiring at 7pm. Theoretically they followed the values of St Benedict which was to live a simple life, do manual work and study. In practice the code wasn't always followed. For example around 1400 the Abbot and some other monks lead a band of 200 bandits. Lay brothers and peasants did most of the heavy manual work. Self sufficiency in farming and sheep had raised their material wealth, so that by the time it was closed, a result of Henry's VIII Dissolution of Monasteries
... read more
