THE situation of monasteries varied very much. It is often said that the Benedictines chose hills, but this is by no means always the case. In England some of the oldest abbeys, not Benedictine in the narrowest sense, were refounded by them. The Cistercians often chose valleys far removed from the haunts of men. In all Orders there was a tendency to place a monastery near a river for the convenience of drainage. The precinct was often very large, at Glastonbury 60 acres, at Fountains 90 acres, at Jervaulx 100 acres. The reason for this was that the monastery had to be self-sufficient. The 66th chapter of the Rule says:

The gateway was often a fine architectural structure, and a number of them remain. There were generally two doorways, the smaller one being used as a rule. Over the gateway, or adjoining it, was a room for the porter, whose duties are laid down in the 66th chapter; he was to be