Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Franciscan Friary, founded 1224 and dissolved in 1538. The first Franciscan house in Britain. The church originally stood to the north while other buildings lay to the south-west. All that remains today is one 13th century building that straddles the river and which may have been a refectory or warden's lodging (TR 15 NW 1090)

Monument Types

• FRANCISCAN FRIARY (Demolished, Medieval - 1224 AD to 1538 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

[TR 1468 5780] Remains of Friary [NR]. (Franciscan Founded AD1224). (1) Franciscan Friary at Canterbury in the custody of London; founded 1224 (the first house of the order in Britain); transferred from Conventual to Observant 1498; dissolved 1538. (2) A 13thc building spanning the River Stour is the only surviving structure and is scheduled. To the south-west the foundations of a building can be seen, and to the north the foundations of the church. [See plan GP/F/54/82/6 (3)]. (3-6) The remains of this friary comprise a 13thc building at TR 14685780 and to the N fragmentary remains of the church, partly free standing and partly incorporated in a boundary wall. There are no visible remains of the building to the SW shown on Martin's plan. GP. AO/65/61/5. (7) Greyfriars Monastery, Stour Street, Grade I. The Custo's lodging, 1267, is approached through the carriageway to No 6. It is built over the river Stour, and at each end is a column resting on the river bed which forms 2 pointed arches across the river. These columns are supposed to be of stone from the part of the Cathedral burnt in the 12th century. Scheduled. (8) TR 146577. A large building, dating from the 13th to the 16th century, which stands on land acquired by the Greyfriars by 1275, was excavated in 1972 and 1973. (9) TR 146578. On the site of St Peter's Methodist School [TR 14685791 - sited from OS 1/1250 1974] medieval walls on massive foundations perhaps belonged to a freestanding bell tower. On the north cobbling and a mortar floor may represent early friary buildings. (10) Drawings were made of the remaining ruined walls of the Greyfriars which are near the boundary wall between the Franciscan gardens and the passageway to St Peter's Street. This is probably the remains of part of the cross-passage of the church. (11)

In 2003 a watching brief on postholes for a fence recorded walls, floors and demolition deposits, though the size of the holes restricted the archaeological interpretation. The line of postholes running north east from TR1466457822 to TR1466957837 seems to cut across the eastern end of the friary church nave and postholes 32 - 46 to run through the centre of the main body of the nave. Another line of masonary walling was found just in fornt of the medieval parapet wall (TR 15 NW 656) and relates to the passeage here. It may represent a retaining wall or one side of a gate house. (12)

The Canterbury UAD states that only one building survives today of this particular Friary of Greyfriars. This is an Early English, thirteenth century building (c. 1267) that sits astride the river Stour and is one of the conventual buildings (TR 15 NW 1090) , however, it is not known for certain as to its function. Some authorities suggest it was the refectory, however there is no supportive evidence to prove this. The building is rectangular shaped in plan measuring approximately 40 feet in length NE-SW by about 21 feet in width NW-SE. Originally it appears to have consisted of just one floor levelabove ground floor level, though after the Dissolution it was altered many times by being turned into a private house, a gaol, and back into a private house again.

The building sits on beautiful early English stone arches spanning the river, it lancet windows above and on both sides are pre-reformation portions of the convent, including the outside staircase with some ruined walls, a doorway, etc., about the court. (13,14)

Historic England archive material: BF111975 Greyfriars Friary, Canterbury The file contains the following photographic print mounted on card: BB89/10480.

English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<1> OS 1/2500 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48127.

<2> MRH Eng & Wales 1953 190 195 (D Knowles & RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE47434.

<3> Franciscan Architecture in England 1937 41-54 (plan illust) (AR Martin) (OS Card Reference). SKE43440.

<4> Grey Friars of Canterbury 1924 (C Cotton) (OS Card Reference). SKE43632.

<5> MHLG (944/11/A Mar 1962) 55 (OS Card Reference). SKE47044.

<6> AM England & Wales 1961 58 (OS Card Reference). SKE33018.

<7> F1 FGA 01-FEB-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE42878.

<8> DOE (HHR) City of Canterbury Kent Sept 1973 264 (OS Card Reference). SKE40081.

<9> Med Arch 17 1973 155 (LE Webster and J Cherry) (OS Card Reference). SKE46737.

<10> Med Arch 18 1974 191 (LE Webster and J Cherry) (OS Card Reference). SKE46739.

<11> CAT Ann Rep 6 1981-2 35 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38681.

<12> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2003, An archaeological watching brief during the excavation of 48 postholes associated with the erection of a new security boundary fence around St. Peter's Methodist School, St. Peter's Grove, Canterbury (Unpublished document). SKE11986.

<13> Cotton, C., 1926, The Greyfriars Canterbury (Monograph). SKE29738.

<14> Bennet, P & Austin, R., 1996, Greyfriars Gate (Monograph). SKE29739.

Sources and further reading

Related records