The Destruction of Hailes Abbey

: A Case Study in Pillaging at the Dissolution

Abstract

The destruction and spoliation of Hailes Abbey after the dissolution was not an uncommon occurrence across England and Wales during the reformation. What is unusual about Hailes Abbey is that documents exist in which first person depositions describe the spoliation and destruction occurring after the monks and inhabitants had left. These documents form the basis of this thesis in which they are used to take a closer look at the architectural fabric of Hailes Abbey just before and just after the closure of the abbey.This thesis has three parts. First, it takes a look at the monastic landscape at Hailes and what the depositions reveal about the layout and outbuildings within the precinct. Second, it discusses what the depositions reveal about the claustral buildings and the inner precinct. Finally, it attempts to lookc at local reuse of Hailes Abbey fabric based on the depositions and the location of thendividuals named or implicated in the depositions. The research reveals the unique layout and the trend towards personal and individual privacy for the monks just before the dissolution.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2013
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Mark Wilson Jones (Supervisor) & Vaughan Hart (Supervisor)