Abbeys of the middle ages remain some of the most wonderful of religious buildings. They were built with a firm sense of devotion, and with no expense spared, by communities which had a faith based upon venerable respect for the power and authority of the Church. The grace and majesty of their construction, and the beautiful rural settings of so many, make them a perfect destination for visitors throughout the year. Trevor Yorke, using diagrams, photographs and illustrations, explains the history of these buildings and describes how they were used in the centuries prior to the great Dissolution by Henry VIII in 1536, which left most of them in ruins.