ABSTRACT
Hulton Abbey has virtually disappeared above ground and although significant remains survive below the surface, successive excavations have caused much disturbance to most of the structural evidence. The Cistercian rule demanded the completion of 'an oratory, refectory, dormitory, guest house and gatekeeper's cell' before a monastery could be commissioned. Bricks appear to have been used at the abbey in the 13th century, although they were poorly made and irregular in size. The monks used both stone and ceramic tiles on roofs that were finished with lead flashing. All the loose worked stones extant from Hulton and those features still in situ have been considered for this report, not just those pieces excavated between 1987 and 1994. With regard to the vaulting of Cistercian churches, the evidence available from other sites permits us to anticipate that by the 13th century at least the chancel and transept chapels would normally be rib-vaulted in stone.
