ABSTRACT
A number of buildings make up the ‘zone’ of interaction at the abbey’s gate, and this paper discusses the roles of the hospital, gatehouse, and chapels at Peterborough but also the people who ran these buildings and in particular, the almoner and the porter. In order to better understand the situation at Peterborough, comparisons are also drawn with the abbeys of Reading and Abingdon due to shared characteristics. These comparisons raise questions concerning Peterborough Abbey, and are used to suggest some conclusions that may be drawn regarding Peterborough’s gate complex as a zone of interaction between the monastic community and those outside of it.
