hermitage

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hermitage.
1. Dwelling of a hermit or religious recluse, in the medieval period often associated with religious foundations, endowed for an anchorite in a churchyard or some other place, often attached to a monastery, and frequently associated with an oratory.

2. Habitation in a lonely situation, often in a landscaped park, occupied by a paid ‘hermit’ in C18.

3. Cottage orné, primitive hut, or rustic residence in a landscape intended as a mnemonic of a hermit's house.

4. Bower, gazebo, or secluded place, often associated with a grotto or cave, artificial rock-work, or some other such construction in a C18 elegiac landscape.

Bibliography

Gwilt (1903);
W. Papworth (1852);
Symes (1993);
D. Watkin (1982a)

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