Waverley Abbey in Surrey was the first Cistercian abbey in England. It was founded in 1128 by the Bishop of Winchester. Initially 12 monks and an abbot arrived from Aumone in France. Fifty years later there were 50 monks and 120 lay brothers.
The Cistericans, pictured above, were founded in 1098 by the monks of Citeaux who believed in austerity and hard work – again a reinterpretation of the rule of St Benedict and reforms designed to counter perceived laxity in other monastic houses. Their habit was made from unbleached wool. These were the so-called ‘White monks.’ They arrived in the south of England in 1128. In 1132 Walter Espec gave the white monks land at Rievaulx – the rest as they say, is history. Fountains Abbey is also a Cistercian foundation. Unlike Benedictines and Cluniacs they refused gifts and rights of patronage – in short anything that would have made them easily wealthy. Instead they cultivated the wilderness. An emphasis was placed upon labour. The great Yorkshire abbeys acquired land and farms over the next two hundred years extending south into Derbyshire and north into Cumberland. In 1147 Furness Abbey was founded. At that time Furness was in Lancashire rather than Cumbria as it is in present times.
The monks themselves might be described as choir monks. They quarters in the cloister and surrounding buildings enabled them to concentrate on the Divine Hours and on church services. Unlike the Cluniacs the Cistercians took an austere approach to their services and the decorations their churches.
The lay brothers lived in the west wing of the abbey, away from the cloister. They came to church for the services at sunrise and sunset but were only required to say the prayers associated with the rest of the hours at their place of work.
Abbey Dore
Beaulieu Abbey
Bindon Abbey
Bordesley Abbey
Brightley Priory
Buckfast Abbey – founded as Benedictine prior to the Conquest. Refounded as Savignac after the Conquest. The Savignac monks merged with the Cistercians..
Buckland Abbey
Calder Abbey
Coggeshall Abbey
Coombe Abbey
Dieulacres Abbey
Dore Abbey
Dunkeswell Abbey
Eastminster
Faringdon Abbey
Flaxley Abbey
Forde Abbey
Furness Abbey
Hailes Abbey
Holmcultram Abbey
Hulton Abbey
Jervaulx Abbey
Kingswood Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstead Abbey
Meaux Abbey (Beverley)
Merevale Abbey
Newminster Abbey
Revesby Abbey
Rewley Abbey
Rievaulx Abbey
Roberts Bridge Abbey
Rosedale Abbey
Rufford Abbey
Sawley Abbey
Sawtry Abbey
Sibton Abbey
Stanley Abbey
Stanley Abbey
Stoneleigh Abbey
Swine Priory
Syningthwaite Priory
Tetbury Abbey
Thame Abbey
Tilty Abbey
Tulketh Priory
Vale Royal Abbey
Vaudey Abbey
Wardon Abbey
Waverley Abbey
Whalley Abbey
Woburn Abbey
Wykeham Priory
Cwmhir Abbey
Aberconwy Abbey
Llantarnam Abbey
Margam Abbey
Neath Abbey
Whitland Abbey