The chapter house was a formal meeting chamber where the canons gathered every day.
The room was divided into two by decorated arches with polished marble shafts. One end of the room was probably used as a lobby, a place where visitors and young novices might stand during chapter meetings.
Beyond was the chapter house, where canons would have met each morning. The abbot and his senior officers sat on a raised platform at the end of the room, and the other canons would have occupied stone benches against the walls.
Following the reading of a chapter from the Rule of St. Augustine (the guide for the Premonstratensian way of life), the canons confessed their sins, discussed business and daily work tasks.
Abbots were often buried in or near chapter houses. A stone coffin lies in the floor of the Chapter House and there are two further burials in the adjacent cloister.
Richard Redman (d.1505), the son of a local landowner, was elected abbot of Shap in 1458. He became the head of the Premonstratensian order in England, an important post which involved visiting all the English houses of the order, and reporting on conditions. He was eventually appointed bishop of Ely.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
