The monks initially lived in temporary wooden
or mud huts that were erected before their arrival - an oratory,
dormitory, guest-house and gate-house. Thereafter, the monks and
lay-brothers would
have laboured together to cultivate the land, to channel the water
supply, and erect the remaining buildings and barns. The construction
and maintenance of the buildings and fences required a considerable
amount of timber. This was available from the surrounding woodland,
and additional supplies were provided by Richard FitzTurgis, whose
foundation charter of
1147 promised fifty cartloads of wood each year. This was clearly
inadequate, for Richard de Busli later granted that the community
might take sufficient timber from his wood at Maltby to complete
their buildings. De Buslis forrester was to supervise this
operation, but if he twice refused the monks were simply to help
themselves; the twelfth-century evidently had its fair share of
temperamental workers. De Busli also acknowledged the communitys
ongoing need for timber, and granted an additional eight waggon-loads
of wood yearly for the upkeep of buildings and fences.
Rebuilding in stone began c. 1170, once the community
had the necessary resources to support an operation of this kind.
The nearby quarries at Roche provided a ready supply of high-quality
stone that was durable, easy to work with and admired by contemporaries.
The reconstruction was a lengthy process and it is likely that most
of the claustral buildings were completed during Osmunds
abbacy, c. 1184-1213.
The acquisition of lands
and possessions was necessary to support a self-sufficient community.
This was actively pursued by Denis
(c. 1159-71), the second abbot of Roche, and his successor Roger
of Tickhill (c. 1171-9). Their achievement culminated in the
papal confirmation of Roches possessions in 1186, which provides
a detailed record of the nature and extent of their holdings at
this time.
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