Abbeys & priories are both types of monastery & the author traces the history of monasteries in Britain from Anglo-Saxon times to the Dissolution under Henry VIII. He describes the different monastic orders, the running of the monasteries & the daily life of the monks & nuns, the layout of monastic buildings, the influence of the religious houses on life in medieval times & their effect on the landscape, all with references to examples accessible to the public. This new edition has been enlarged into the ` Discovering Handbook` series & is fully illustrated in colour.