The Late Medieval Cistercian Monastery of Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire: Monastic Administration, Economy, and Archival Memory. By Michael Spence. Medieval Monastic Studies 5. Turnhout: Brepols, 2020. 208 pp. € 75.00 cloth.

Fountains Abbey, a late medieval Cistercian monastery in Yorkshire, England, emerges as a pivotal case study for understanding monastic administration, economic resilience, and archival memory. Michael Spence's work reveals how the abbey navigated political shifts, economic pressures, and the dissolution of religious institutions during the 16th century, providing insights into its adaptive strategies and survival mechanisms. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating archival analysis with archaeological evidence to reconstruct the abbey's operational dynamics. A key finding is the abbey's ability to maintain financial stability through innovative economic practices, such as agricultural diversification and strategic land management, despite external disruptions. Additionally, Spence highlights the significance of Fountains Abbey's archives in preserving institutional memory, offering a rare window into the daily life and governance of medieval monastic communities.

Newman, M. G. (2023). The Late Medieval Cistercian Monastery of Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire: Monastic Administration, Economy, and Archival Memory. By Michael Spence. Medieval Monastic Studies 5. Turnhout: Brepols, 2020. 208 pp. € 75.00 cloth. Church History, 92(2), 446–448. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009640723001658