The Refectory
When the abbey was first built, the Refectory formed the central section of a long range of buildings lying along the south side of the Cloister (22, 26). As this space rapidly proved to be much too small, a new Refectory was built on a north south alignment to form an impressive room nearly a hundred feet in length (23). A series of tall round headed windows (now blocked) pierced the outer walls, while in the western wall a narrow staircase led up to an elevated pulpit from which readings were heard throughout each meal.
The Prior generally presided at the top table at the south end of the refectory, the majority of the monks being seated at further tables ranged down both sides of the room. During the meal, no monk was permitted to leave the room, nor to walk about whilst eating. He was neither to wash his cup with his fingers, nor to wipe his hands or his knife on the tablecloth unless he had first cleaned them on his bread. Furthermore, he was to help himself to salt with his knife, and always hold his cup with both hands when drinking.
Around 1240 the area of the Refectory floor lying beneath the tables and benches was paved with large sandstone flags, but, in contrast, the entire central area was occupied by a magnificent expanse of glazed red, yellow and blue tiles. The design was composed of a series of diamond shaped panels, each filled with a different pattern of inlaid tile, the motifs including fleur-de-lis, birds, chalices, quatrefoils, foliage and geometric elements. In the centre of the room, the diamonds gave way to a large circular panel of tile mosaic made up of concentric bands of interlaced, scrolled, and lettered tiles, this whole composition being strongly influenced by contemporary floors in France.
In the fifteenth century, the Refectory was completely re modelled to form two separate rooms, the ground floor becoming the misericord where meat could be eaten, while the Refectory or frater was moved up on to a new first floor inserted within the twelfth century walls. At the same time, the tall Norman windows were replaced by squareheaded ground floor windows, with pointed windows on the first floor, and the pulpit was replaced by a new fireplace and chimney to make the rooms more comfortable. In order to gain access up to the refectory from the cloister, a wooden staircase was erected to the south of the original doorway in the north west corner, and a new doorway was then pierced through the adjacent cloister wall to lead directly into the misericord.