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Monument details

HER Number:TR 15 NE 123
Type of record:Monument
Name:Austin Friary

Summary

An "Austin" (i.e. Augustinian-) friary established in 1324, rebuilt in 1408 and dissolved in 1538. Excavations have identified the plan of the priory church, the cemetery, and the precinct wall.


Grid Reference:TR 1503 5760
Map Sheet:TR15NE
Parish:CANTERBURY, CANTERBURY, KENT

Monument Types

  • AUGUSTINIAN FRIARY (AUSTIN FRIARY, Medieval - 1324 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (HUMAN REMAINS, Medieval - 1324 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL (WALL, Medieval - 1324 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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(TR 15035760) Austin Friary [NR] (site of) [NAT]. (1) Edward II granted Archbishop Reynolds licence in 1318 to alienate a site, part of which had belonged to the Friars of the Sack, to the Austin Friars; but they moved in 1324, without permission, to another site which they retained in spite of complications. There seems to have been 8 friars in 1319-20, and there were 18 friars in 1336. The friary was rebuilt in 1406 but at the dissolution it was impovished and in debt. When Ingworth came to negotiate the surrenderin December 1538, one of the friars declared that he would rather die than accept the King as head of the Church; this must have been friar John Stone, who was executed for high treason in 1538-9. (2) Trenching for main drainage and foundations at the rear of shops on the south side of St George's Street revealed much of the ground plan at a very large building which may have been the church of the Austin Friars monastery. Its date is certainly later than a 13th century rubbish pit which had been partially destroyed when the foundations were originally excavated. North of this building were a number of graves which belonged to the Lay cemetery of the monastery. (TR 15025767) The boundary of Whitefriars precinct was observed in a drainage trench at the rear of 8-12 St George's Street along with numerous human bones and a headless pipeclay statuette of St John the Baptist which was recovered from trenches during the construction of the buildings. (TR 15075766) In 1947 two small trenches were dug on the south-west side of St George's Street. Part of a medieval flint wall thought to belong to the Austin Friary was discovered along with a human skeleton. (TR 15065768) A medieval tile hearth and a floor dated to the first half of the 12th century was noted. Also present was a medieval loam floor and 13th century pit along with four inhumations from the cemetery of the Austin Friary. (3-5)


<1> OS 1:1250 1972 (OS Card Reference). SKE48184.

<2> Med Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1971 241 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46794.

<3> The Arch of Cant An Assessment 1985 177-178 (G Andrews) (OS Card Reference). SKE49994.

<4> Arch Cant 68 1954 204-205 (F Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE35428.

<5> The Arch of Canterbury 7 1983 51 plans (S Frere and S Stow) (OS Card Reference). SKE50039.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: OS 1:1250 1972.
<2>OS Card Reference: Med Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1971 241 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock).
<3>OS Card Reference: The Arch of Cant An Assessment 1985 177-178 (G Andrews).
<4>XYOS Card Reference: Arch Cant 68 1954 204-205 (F Jenkins). [Mapped feature: #43454 friary, ]
<5>OS Card Reference: The Arch of Canterbury 7 1983 51 plans (S Frere and S Stow).