The Waterworks Plan of Christ Church, Canterbury (above, p. 4) is a unique remnant of the Middle Ages for it is the only known plan of a western monastery prior to the sixteenth century. It depicts the monastery's hydraulic system, which was central to Prior Wibert's building programme of 1155–67 and may have been intended as a guide for repairs and extensions. It shows the layout of the precinct in the mid-twelfth century, but is probably representative of the monastery as it was until the Dissolution, for the conventual buildings were renovated but not rearranged. The buildings are not, however, shown to scale. For example, whilst the toilet block (necessarium) and dormitory are detached in the drawing, the ruins at this point are joined; the door between the guesthouse and kitchen is huge in comparison to the other buildings and would be about twelve metres by fifteen metres. Furthermore, the plan shows little of the interior layout of the buildings and says little of their use.

The plan shows that the prior's quarters lay to the NE of the church, by the infirmary buildings, and were separated from the court by a wall and gate. The prior would presumably have welcomed here more noteworthy guests, such as distinguished ecclesiastics, nobility and others whom he wished to honour and were not received by the archbishop. The prior's lodgings are described as the old and new chambers (camera) of the prior but would probably have been comprised of a series of rooms or a suite, rather than a single chamber.