As a chapter house, this would have been where the monks met to discuss the business and work of the day, a time of relief from their otherwise silent routines. The 12th century vaulting can still be clearly seen, looking much as it did in its earlier days.
In the 17th century, Edmund Prideaux converted the Chapter House into a Chapel. Inserting the carved oak screen in the centre of the room, together with the panelling. He retained the typical Cistercian central arch, with its two flanking side arches, which was formerly the entrance from the Cloisters.