While initially a levy was placed by Prémontré on its abbeys, many English abbeys refused to pay this from 1311 onwards. The issue of taxation was a thorny one. Premonstratensian and Cistercian abbots did not sit in parliament like Benedictine or Augustinian abbots, but they were summoned to parliament from 1295 because they were needed to finance the war with France. They were summoned ten times in the reign of Edward I: the abbot of St Mary’s Abbey went there nine times, but many others never attended at all. Nevertheless the abbots gave up half their revenues in 1294 and gave the king 1/10 of their income in 1295.

Petitions to the king asked for permission to stop paying a levy to Prémontré: a statute of 1307 prohibits the levy, but Edward II then took that money for himself. From this date, 11 Premonstratensian abbots refused to attend general chapter in Prémontré, sending a letter to Prémontré via the abbots of Langley and Sulby abbeys. The abbots were threatened with excommunication and appealed to Rome: the threats were repeated in 1311 and most of the eleven abbots (not those of Sulby, Beeleigh, Langdon or St Radegund’s) were indeed excommunicated; their appeal was heard at Vienne, and they seem to have won their case.

An agreement forged in 1316 stipulated, among other things, that only annual visitors needed to attend general chapters, the abbot of Prémontré might visit every five years or send deputies who could not depose abbots, money was not to be demanded from English houses except for specific purposes, and actions against the English abbots since their appeal to Rome must be withdrawn. This agreement was ratified by 20 English abbots. From this time, abbots were at liberty to smuggle money out to Prémontré, but it was not compulsory. In the later 15th century the 1316 agreement no longer applied.

Before the end of the 14th century, relations between the English abbeys and Prémontré were weakened by schism about the anti-Pope Clement VII (who was supported by the abbot of Prémontré) and Urban VI (supported by the English abbots, notably Baukwell of Welbeck, who was deposed).

Premonstratensian abbeys mostly were built to a similar pattern. The cloister was usually on the south side of the nave, the sunny side; in 24 of the 26 British abbeys where details are available, this was the practice. Just Easby and Croxton have their cloisters on the north side, due to the lie of the land.  There was a little variation in the shape and positioning of the lavatorium, but it was usually polygonal or round and sited near the refectory door so that canons could conveniently wash their hands before eating; again, Croxton is a little different – there, a rectangular lavatorium projects into the cloister.