This book offers an archaeological history of hermitages and eremitic communities, with reference to key examples and case-studies. It has a particular emphasis on the British medieval period, but it also contextualises this within a wider comparative framework.

Dr Simon Roffey has published a number of books and articles on medieval archaeology, particularly in the area of medieval religion and belief. He has directed surveys and excavations on a wide range of ecclesiastical sites including the site of St Mary Magdalen, Winchester, the country's earliest excavated leprosy hospital. He is Reader in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Winchester, and a former University Buddhist Chaplain. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society and has previously served in the Royal Navy Submarine Service.

PART I; 1. Introduction; 2. Early Hermits and Hermitages in India: An Overview; 3. Early Hermits and Hermitages in China, Japan and Tibet: An Overview; 4. The Desert Hermitage in Early Christianity; PART II; 5. Hermits and Hermitages in the Post-Roman and Early Medieval West: An Overview; 6. Hermits and Hermitages in Early Medieval Ireland; 7. The Hermits and Hermitages of Early Medieval Britain; 8. Hermits and Hermitages in Early Medieval England; PART III; 9. The Religious Context of the Medieval Hermitage; 10. Hermitages and Hermits in Late Medieval England; 11. Institutional Hermits; 12. The 'Afterlife' of the Medieval Hermitage; 13. Conclusion