The twelfth-century guest complex stood to the west of
the lay-brothers’ range,
on the very fringes of monastic life. It included a large aisled
guesthall and two guesthouses, and had
its own drainage system to flush the latrines. A room between the
two houses may have been
occupied by the guestmaster/hosteller, the monastic official
(obedientiary) who oversaw the management of the complex. The substantial
remains of the
east and west guesthouses are amongst the finest in the country,
and whilst all that remains of the guest hall is a stone table
leg, its structure and
layout is known from geophysical survey of the site in 1992. The
complex offers considerable insight to the provision for and distinction
of guests
within the Cistercian precinct.
The guesthouses
The guesthouses were built in the 1160s and substantial remains
can still be seen.(107) They were both
two-storey structures and vaulted, providing in total four suites
for distinguished
visitors and their
households. Superior
accommodation was on the upper levels. The eastern house is the
better preserved and was the larger of the two. Its lower storey
comprised of six bays and
was divided into two rooms. Access to the upper storey was via
an external staircase, which was originally of timber and later
of stone. Less remains
of the western guesthouse and accordingly, less is known about
its layout and design. However, it was similar to the eastern
house, but slightly smaller,
occupying four rather than six bays. A bridge over the River
Skell provided access to the first floor of the west house.
The guesthouses were renovated
in the fourteenth century. For the eastern house this essentially
meant the reorganisation of the lower level, to extend the
hall and decrease the
chamber; windows and fireplaces were inserted in the upper storey.
The western house was more extensively altered. A new two-storey
hall was built to the
north of the house, and the former guesthouse served as the chamberblock
to this hall. Both houses were well equipped and designed for
comfort, having fireplaces, latrines and even rose windows.(108)
