Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

This wall fragment appears to be part of a long 'L' shaped building in plan to the north of the Meister Omer's, known as the 'Long Chamber', believed to have been built in c. 1377 with the old Precinct wall serving as its outer north and eastern walls.

Monument Types

• BUILDING (14C-18C, Medieval to Unknown - 1377 AD?)

Full description

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This wall fragment appears to be part of a long 'L' shaped building in plan to the north of the Meister Omer's, known as the 'Long Chamber'. Believed to have been built in c. 1377 with the old Precinct wall serving as its outer north and eastern walls. The northern Chamber ran along side the wall of the Prior's Great Garden on an E-W axis and was about 145 feet long by about 23 feet wide N-S. At its eastern end another long Chamber ran southwards to Meister Omer's Hall for about 120 feet, this too was about 23 feet wide. The long ranges of chambers were divided up into numerous cells or rooms and were probably built over two storeys.

After the Dissolution, in the Distribution List of 1546 the Long Chamber was divided into two by a garden wall. One portion was allocated to the Fifth Stall Dr. Ridly and the other to the Sixth Stall Mr Menny's. Sometime during the eighteenth century the structure was demolished and replaced by a large brick built building No. 17 The Precincts.

Willis, R., 1868, 'The Architectural History of the Conventual Buildings of the Monastery of Christchurch in Canterbury' (Article in serial). SKE30206.

Blockley, K., Sparks, M. & Tatton-Brown, T., 1997, Canterbury Cathedral Nave, Archaeology, History and Architecture (Monograph). SKE29723.

Sources and further reading