A cloister is a covered walkway usually set out in the form of a square, in the centre of which is a courtyard, or garthSmall piece of enclosed ground.. It was a central feature of monastic buildings, and usually built on the south side of the church. In early examples the outer wall of the arcade is open to the elements, but in later times it was often glazed, containing spaces for washing, study and storage space for books and records.[1]
The term cloister is derived from the Old English cloistre, which itself comes from the Latin claustrum, meaning “a shut up place”.[2]
See also
PeristyleRange of columns surrounding an architectural feature.
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service. By clicking on “All cookies”, you consent to us using all cookies and plug-ins as described in our Cookie policy.
Functional cookies
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.