Within the confines of Escaladieu Abbey there are extensive gardens. They are crucial to monks to allow them to consecrate on the manual work, the integral part of the balanced Cistercian life. To the east of the buildings there were several workshops, stables, a mill, a vegetable garden, and a garden of medicinal plants as well as the Abbey’s orchards. These gardens, which were a veritable medicinal supply store, allowed the community to be self-sufficient and thus to be able to live in almost complete independence.
The fish pond
The abbey’s fish pond was located in the north part of the gardens. The pond was fed directly by the Arras and allowed the monks to raise fish, the Cistercians being vegetarians. The supply of water to the pond formed part of the water network from which the abbey benefited. This network had a whole network of pipes and sewers.
