The Cloister

The Cloister. . This large, square area was the cloister, the heart of the main monastic buildings. From here the monks could access everything they needed for their daily lives and stay separate from the outside world., In this corner you would have been shaded by the huge Abbey Church in front of you. To your right, on the west side of the cloister, was the Great Hall where the abbey's many servants and guests ate. Behind you was the refectory, where the monks ate in silence, listening to religious readings. On the east side of the cloister were the chapter house and monks' dormitory., These monastic buildings were built in the early 12th century. In 1430, the abbot built a new library-this was probably over the south cloister walk., Literature and Learning , Bury was a famous centre of learning and scholarship for most of its history. The abbey had a large library, with over 2,000 books when it was closed in 1539. Remarkably, around 200 of those books still exist. Two of the abbey's monks, Jocelin of Brakelond and John Lydgate became notable historians whose writings reveal much about the abbey's past.