Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Priory constructed by Lanfranc by 1087, it was the last secular monastery to be refounded. By the mid 12th century it had become Augustinian and remained so until its dissolution in 1537. A fire in 1145 destroyed the church, but this was rebuilt, the entire claustral complex was completed in the middle 12th century. Excavations in 1988 and 1989 recovered the plan of most of the complex which was ranged to the north of the large, double-aisled church. Lanfranc's original church consisted of a nave and chancel with tower between. To this were added transepts, but unusually positioned to the west of the tower. Chapels were added to the east of the transepts. Lanfranc's priory church occupied the site of an earlier church which appears to be 9th-10th century and was probably a guild church. This in turn succeeded a smaller church which was used either in the late Roman period or from the 6-7th century. The priory cemetery was in use from 1087 until its enclosure in the late 16th century.

Monument Types

• CHAPEL (CHAPEL, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD to 999 AD)
• CEMETERY (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1087 AD to 1599 AD)
• COLLEGE OF SECULAR PRIESTS (COLLEGE OF SECULAR PRIESTS, Medieval - 1087 AD to 1539 AD)
• AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY (AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY, Medieval - 1133 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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(TR 15215827) Site of St Gregorys Priory; 11th century secular collegeof 12th century Augustinian Priory. (1-3) (TR 15195825, sited from plan). Graveyard (1084-1612) of St Gregory's Priory, 85 to 88 Northgate. (4-5) St Gregory's Priory, Canterbury, was assumed to be a new priory founded by Lanfranc, in the 1080s to act as a body of canons regular to look after the men and women of St John's Hospital [TR 15 NE 4]. Comparing entries in the Domesday Book and Domesday Monochorum it is likely that the Domesday Book "is the last record of an Anglo-Saxon gild of priests that was taken over and refounded by Lanfranc" in 1087. A complete area-excavation of the core of the site was undertaken in 1988-9 (see plan). Two Anglo-Saxon churches have been uncovered; the larger to the north, must be the gild church of perhaps the 9th or 10th century, while the very small two celled church to the south is perhaps 7th century, although a late Roman date is just possible. It is unlikely that St Gregory's became an Augustinian Priory until the early 12th century. "This is also perhaps the time when St Gregory's first acquired a regular claustral layout of buildings, although an earlier date is also possible." (6) Additional bibliography. (7-8)

Re-development of the site began in 1994, and was based on a piled foundation to protect the site. A watching brief of the foundation cuttings for the new development was undertaken and uncovered a post-medieval wall, dated the 16th century, probably some time after 1573, when Sir John Boys enclosed the grounds with a new wall. (9)

Additional bibliography (10)

<1> Map of Canterbury 1752 (Doidge) (OS Card Reference). SKE46511.

<2> VCH Kent 2 1926 142-4 (sic) (OS Card Reference). SKE50946.

<3> Med Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1953 211 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46791.

<4> Arch Cant 96 1980 297-304 plans (P Blockley) (OS Card Reference). SKE36244.

<5> Md Arch 25 1981 189 (SM Youngs and J Clark) (OS Card Reference). SKE46626.

<6> St Gregorys Priory Canterbury 1989 1-16 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE49610.

<7> MRH 1971 139 152 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE47431.

<8> Canterbury's Archaeology 1987-8 29-32 (P Bennett and M Sparks) 33 (MJ Hicks) (OS Card Reference). SKE38574.

<9> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1994, Watching brief at St Gregory's Priory Development, Northgate, Canterbury. Report 1: Southern area (Unpublished document). SKE8172.

<10> 199, Arch Cant 108 (1990) 91-151 (OS Card Reference). SKE54053.

Sources and further reading

Related records