REVIEW BY HUGH WILLMOTT
This volume was prompted by a decade of excavations by Peter Davey following Rushen Abbey’s purchase by the Isle of Man government in 1998. While these form the core of the work, the volume also synthesises previous investigations and places the site in its wider context.
A brief historical introduction to the medieval abbey is followed by a very thorough investigation of its post-Dissolution life. The volume progresses with the results of the author’s excavations, the reporting of which is made infinitely stronger by his willingness to interweave his own results with those of the earlier investigations. As a result, a rounded overview of the site’s complex stratigraphy and chronology is achieved.
As expected, a century of excavations has provided a wealth of artefactual evidence. Architectural fragments and fittings help reconstruct the appearance of the demolished buildings. Likewise, the dress accessories, ceramics, and items associated with leisure and music illuminate the daily lives of the religious.
