His first four years in cloister took place at Gilling Abbey in what is now North Yorkshire, which was also attended by Cynefrid, prior to his departure to Ireland.

Ceolfrid is described as having "behaved of the greater devotion, giving his mind continually to reading, to labour, and monastic discipline".

Very little is revealed about the period between the end of his days at Ripon, and his appointment under Benedict Biscop, except that he spent some time in the institutions of Abbot Botolph, whom he describes as being filled with "the grace of spirit".

In c.672/3, Benedict Biscop received a land grant from King Ecgfrith of Northumbria for the explicit purpose of erecting a monastery.

He had grown rather disenchanted with the power stratification within the institution (the name of which is unknown), and had had enough of the "jealousies and very bitter persecutions of certain men of rank",[7] and had been looking to return to his own monastery (assumed to be Ripon).

Ceolfrid and Bede appeared to have remained untouched by the epidemic, and took the duties of caring for the infected and dying monks of the monasteries with unyielding fervour.

When the Plague finally passed over, master and pupil began to rebuild the monastic foundations and succeeded effectively.

It is said that instead, it made its way into Florence, where it was presented by the Lombard Abbot Peter to the Abbazia di San Salvatore at Mount Amiata in Tuscany.

Over the past few hundred years, additional leaves that appear to be related to this text have been located in Britain, some having been used as book wrappings.

Sometime after 711, Nechtan mac Der-Ilei, King of the Picts, sought authoritative advice from Abbot Ceolfrid on the reform of paschal cycles with a view to harmonising the celebration of Easter within his kingdom.

He then set sail for Rome with the intent of delivering the Codex Amiatinus Bible to Pope Gregory II.