The Abbot’s House at Westminster

A comprehensive architectural and documentary analysis reveals the dynamic evolution of Westminster Abbey's Abbot's House, tracing its development from medieval origins through centuries of modifications. This 1911 study leverages unprecedented access to abbey muniments—both pre- and post-Reformation—to reconstruct the complex's history with greater precision than previous works. The research highlights the abbey's continuous building activity, as evidenced by frequent references to structural work in historical accounts, and underscores how the abbot's growing status necessitated increasingly grander accommodations for diplomatic and ceremonial purposes. As dean of the abbey, J. Armitage Robinson's insider perspective enabled a nuanced understanding of the architectural transformations that shaped this significant surviving medieval structure.

Robinson, J. A. (2011). The Abbot’s House at Westminster. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511708954