Willmott/Dissolution of the Monasteries, 6. Conversion to Domestic Use

The potential for monastic buildings to be transformed into gentry houses has long been recognised. However, previous works have tended to focus on a select handful of examples that conform to a ‘cloister to courtyard house’ model of conversion. This chapter reveals that domestic adaptation was much more diverse and widespread than previously recognised, as monastic buildings were developed to serve their new owners very different domestic needs and budgets.