For them everything is fixed by weight, measure
and number.
A pound of bread, a pint of drink, two dishes of cabbage and beans.
If they sup, the remnants of their former meal are dished up again
except that, instead of the two cooked dishes, fresh vegetables,
if
they are to be had, are served.
[Walter Daniel, Life of Aelred.] (39)
The refectory at Byland was completed c. 1177
and was built according to the preferred design at this time, that is, it projected
out from the cloister, along
a north / south axis. This meant that the kitchen and all other necessary buildings
could be accessed directly from the cloister. The refectory at Byland was,
however, rather unusual as it was built on a vaulted undercroft
and thus stood above the
level of the cloister. The interior of the refectory would have been lime-washed
white, with mock lines traced to give the impression of masonry. Light was
provided through round-headed windows and one of these still remains
in the east wall.(40)