The monastic ideal embracing the service of God by the renunciation of the world and a way of life devoted to prayer and meditation, under the threefold vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, had been proclaimed most clearly by St Benedict at Monte Cassino in Italy early in the sixth century. The rules which he drew up for his followers were observed by monks and nuns in Europe during the Middle Ages, and there are active Benedictine monasteries throughout the world today. One of these is an abbey at Downside, in Somerset, founded in 1814 by a community of monks from France.

The oldest English monasteries were Benedictine. The monks wore black 'habits', long gowns of coarse black cloth with wide sleeves and a hood and sandals. Their daily life was hard, their food plain and simple, and fasting formed an important part of their religious devotion. The church was the centre of the monks' life of prayer in the monastery. The rest of the buildings were planned to accommodate the living and working quarters, and all the other essential parts of a community, sometimes quite large, living together. Part of their time was spent in working, either in the garden of the monastery or in study, writing and copying books, before the days of printing. People were generous in their gifts to monasteries, for it was felt that they provided great services through continuous prayers for the living and the dead, as well as hospitality for travellers, the sick and the aged. They also made provision for the poor and needy by the daily gift of food at the monastery gate.