Monastery Kitchens

Posted on May 23, 2009October 19, 2009 by Cynthia BertelsenIn Archaeology, English Cooking, Middle Ages1 Minute Read

Abbatia quae vocitatur Bellus Locus

Monasteries in the Middle Ages tended to follow similar layouts. Beaulieu Abbey, a Cistercian abbey in Hampshire, England, now in ruins, once supported a large number of people. It started out with 120 cows and 20 bulls, all very conducive to cheese-making.

Beaulieu Abbey’s floor plan shows a tiny kitchen some distance away from the “frater” or dining area (go HERE to see a large picture):

Published by Cynthia Bertelsen

Writer, photographer, reader, historian, librarian, amateur chef, nature lover, gardener. View all posts by Cynthia Bertelsen

Tags: Beaulieu Abbey, Cooking, Kitchens, Middle Ages, Monasteries, Monks

2 Comments

Cynthia Bertelsen says:

March 9, 2010 at 7:24 pm

Thanks, Allison. :-)

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Allison says:

March 7, 2010 at 2:36 pm

And this is the reason I read gherkinstomatoes.ocm. Surprising posts.

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