The West Range

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This is a huge two storey building. The upper floor was the lay brothers' dormitory.

The lay brothers were not monks. They lived and worked in the abbey. They were masons, carpenters, cooks, farmers and general servants.

Because this work was being done by the lay brothers, the monks could spend more of their time in worship.

The ground floor held rooms such as the lay brothers' refectory, the cellarium, or storehouse, and the parlour.

The abbey became a very large landowner and traded wool across Europe. How did this fit with the Rule of Poverty?

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