This book is a comprehensive study of the constitutional developments of the monastic orders in Britain between 1000 and 1300.

List of illustrations; Preface; 1. Before the Normans; 2. The coming of the Normans; 3. The regular canons; 4. The new monastic orders of the twelfth century; 5. Women and the religious life; 6. The mendicant orders; 7. The physical setting: monastic buildings and the monastic plan; 8. Inside a religious house: daily life and the chain of command; 9. Learning and literary activities; 10. Religious houses and the wider community: founders, patrons and benefactors; 11. The monastic economy; 12. On the brink of change; Glossary; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.