Saints and Sinners: Britain's Millennium of Monasteries

S1 E3 • 3/5/2015

Secular Society

Dr Janina Ramirez discovers how the immensely rich and powerful monasteries, that had dominated British society for a thousand years, were annihilated in less than five years. In the 15th century, eight hundred monasteries in England owned one third of the nation's land. Many monks were living in palatial monasteries and were patrons of the finest art and architecture. Janina then traces the story of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell. Although not a single monastery survived the systematic liquidation, Janina shows the lasting impact Britain's millennium of monasteries had on our society and culture.