Many hermitages and eremitic communities are recorded throughout the medieval period, yet to date, there has been no comprehensive archaeological study. This ri

"Despite the existence of many hermitages and eremitic communities recorded throughout the medieval period, they have, somewhat surprisingly, received little ar

Monasticism, in all of its variations, was a feature of almost every landscape in the medieval West. So ubiquitous were religious women and men throughout the M

From the impact of the first monasteries in the seventh century, to the emergence of the local parochial system five hundred years later, the Church was a force

Covering the period from the fall of the Roman Empire through to the beginnings of the Renaissance, this is an indispensable volume which brings the complex and