Warming house
Encyclopedia
The warming house was an important room or building in a mediaeval monastery
in Western Europe
. It was here that a communal fire was kept so that the monks could warm themselves after long hours of study in the (unheated) cloister
or other work. In the early Middle Ages
this was one of the few heated rooms in the monastery - the others being the infirmary
, the guest house and the kitchen - but this policy was generally relaxed, save for a few very strict orders, by the latter part of the mediaeval period when fireplaces became common throughout the claustral buildings.
The warming house was always one of the buildings surrounding the cloister and was entered from it. Often it was located close to the refectory so that the warmth could be shared by the monks when they were eating. In many monasteries an upper floor was built over the warming house that served as the muniment
room, where the house’s charter
s, deeds and other legal documents were kept safe from damp.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. It was here that a communal fire was kept so that the monks could warm themselves after long hours of study in the (unheated) cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
or other work. In the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
this was one of the few heated rooms in the monastery - the others being the infirmary
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, the guest house and the kitchen - but this policy was generally relaxed, save for a few very strict orders, by the latter part of the mediaeval period when fireplaces became common throughout the claustral buildings.
The warming house was always one of the buildings surrounding the cloister and was entered from it. Often it was located close to the refectory so that the warmth could be shared by the monks when they were eating. In many monasteries an upper floor was built over the warming house that served as the muniment
Muniment
A Muniment or Muniment of Title is a legal term for a document, or other evidence, that indicates ownership of an asset. The word is derived from munimentum, the Latin word for a defensive fortification...
room, where the house’s charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s, deeds and other legal documents were kept safe from damp.