Changes in Abbey Life

Changes in Abbey Life. Kirkstall Abbey. As the monks received more donations of land and money, which increased their involvement in worldly affairs, it became more difficult for them to maintain their strict standards., By the 14th century the rules of the monastery had been relaxed. The laybrothers had all but gone and the Abbey lands were leased out to tenant farmers., The monks could now speak more freely, and bathing was allowed (although only once a month)! A separate meat kitchen was built to provide the monks with meat 3 days a week, and fires were lit in several buildings of the Abbey so that the monks could keep warm., Standards had lapsed so much that in the 1360s two of the abbots at Kirkstall were deposed for misbehaviour - one had organised a gang of monks to terrorise the local people!, By 1527 the height of the Abbey tower had been raised and a new belfry added, which was not in line with the Cistercian ideal of simplicity. But 12 years later, in 1539, Kirkstall Abbey was forced to close and monastic life here came to an end.