By the 16th century the order still had 30 abbeys, two nunneries, three cells and Talley in Wales.

Houses were organised into three circaries: Northern England and Scotland (13 houses); Middle England (13); Southern England (11). Fearn in Ross and Talley were not in circaries because they were remote, and Torre was often missed for the same reason. There were supposed to be two visitors to inspect each house regularly, and for these visitors to change circary each year, but that was not often observed. Special visitors were appointed if there were serious issues; deposition could be done only by the general chapter of the order, held in Prémontré; ecclesiastical or even secular help could be sought if need arose. Before 1233 the order’s visitors were Cistercian abbots.

St Mary’s Abbey at Dale was in the middle circary with Barlings, Beauchief, Croxton, Hagnaby, Halesowen, Lavendon, Newbo, Newhouse, Sulby, Tupholm and Welbeck. Visitation was a tad sporadic: by April 1411 Welbeck Abbey had not been visited for 20 years.  Abbots would not travel in the winter or in Lent. Bishop Redman, the abbot of Shap Abbey and Vicar General in England, was the visitor at St Mary’s Abbey for 25 years during the late 15th century, and his visitation reports have survived.  He records the existence of 30 canons during those 25 years, of whom five were guilty of serious misdemeanours: this is 16% of the number of canons, and an average rate of sin.  

Bishop Redman held the commission to represent the abbot of Prémontré in England, in 1459. This was a three-year appointment, and fought over because of the power it held, the commissioner only having to report to Prémontré every seven years. The downside was that the commissioner had to collect a subsidy from the abbeys, which was unpopular and difficult, and, indeed, never sent by Redman. In 1515 Prémontré attempted to regain control, but the ensuing lawsuit took until 1531 and the result was never enforced.

Redman died at Ely House, Holborn in 1505; he was succeeded by Thomas Wilkinson of Welbeck Abbey, who visited St Mary’s Abbey on 13th May 1506, going on to Lichfield at the expense of the St Mary’s abbot, and then to Halesowen Abbey.

The role of a Premonstratensian abbot was varied. Their activities were controlled by law: from 1279 the Statute of Mortmain required a monastery to obtain a royal licence and pay a fine before appropriating any lands; in the process known as inquisitio quo warranto the abbot was treated as a feudal tenant; they sometimes had to prosecute or defend a lawsuit. Abbots had to inspect hospitals and take the oaths of allegiance of newly-elected abbots or priors. They were allowed (by an order of Pope Clement in 1188) to let ¾ of their canons serve parish churches. The appropriation of parish churches was supposed to require a licence, but this was sidestepped by transferring the property first to trustees. Abbots had little to do with the local bishop, only needing his services to ordain canons; relations with bishops were usually amicable.