York historian reveals the bad habits of medieval monks

Posted on 25 July 2018

Dr Emma Wells discusses the behaviour of medieval monks, the special tribunal to investigate rumours of bad behaviour and the pandemonium that was uncovered.

Monk sneaking a drink

The Centre for Lifelong Learning's Associate Lecturer & Programme Director, Dr Emma Wells, has had her article published in BBC History magazine.

The article is entitled 'Monks behaving badly' and Dr Wells reveals why some men of the cloth simply couldn’t resist the pleasures of the flesh. She looks at the contemporary chronicles that claim England’s medieval clergy spent just as much time drinking, gambling and fornicating with prostitutes as attending to their flocks’ spiritual needs.

Read the full article, 'Monks behaving badly'.