I recently came across some monks' cells that were so luxurious, I quite fancied moving into one... Yorkshire has some glorious and famous former abbeys such as Fountains and Rievaulx. Fewer folk mention Mount Grace Priory, House and Gardens, yet it's an equally lovely site. There's the added bonus of three 'attractions' in one, plus a cafe serving excellent Moonshine Ice Cream.
Mount Grace Priory was a Carthusian priory established in 1398 and closed in 1539 following the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry Viii. The adjoining guesthouse eventually became a substantial manor house, which now houses an exhibition about the site and some rooms where you can imagine its former Arts and Crafts glory. The gardens have been recently re-developed and are now really beautiful with several different areas to walk and enjoy.
The real stand-out feature for me is the medieval great cloister, around which there were around 20 individual cells for monks who lived solitary lives. Each of the individual cells had a beautiful arched door with a small niche at the side so meals could be delivered to the monk inside. One of the cells has been recreated: in essence it was a two-storey building with a recessed space downstairs for a primitive curtained bed, a room for prayer and writing, another space with windows facing the garden. Upstairs was a work room, in this case with a spinning wheel and loom.
Outside was a covered walkway to a toilet - each of the cells had fresh running water! Each cell faced on to a private garden where the monks grew plants of dyeing and medicinal use. Sometimes it's hard to imagine how the ruins of a former abbey were used - this recreation made it very appealing - until I remembered that the monks rose every few hours (including during the night) to pray, and there was no central heating...