352 Oiitlifies of European History The abbey church Ox the north side of the cloister was the churchy which always laced west. As time went on and certain groups of monks were given a great deal of property, they constructed very beau- tiful churches for their monasteries. Westminster Abbey was originally the church of a monastery lying outside the city of Fig. 138. Cloisters of Heiligenkreuz This picture of the cloister in the German monastery of Heiligenkreuz is chosen to show how the more ordinary monastery courts looked, with their pleasant sunny gardens The refec- tory, lavatory, and dormi- tory London, and there are in Great Britain many picturesque re- mains of ruined abbey churches which attract the attention of every traveler. On the west side of the cloister were storerooms for pro- visions ; on the south side, opposite the church, was the " re- fectory," or dining room, and a sitting room that could be warmed in cold weather. In the cloister near the dining room was a " lavatory " where the monk could wash his hands before meals. To the east of the cloister was the " dormitory," where the monks slept. This always adjoined the church, for the Rule required that the monks should hold services seven times a day.
