Summary : The now ruined Greyfriars Franciscan Friary was founded by Sir William Gerbrigge in 1271, however it may have been established as early as 1226. The original precinct was enlarged in 1285, 1291 and 1356 by taking in adjacent land to the north and south. In 1538 the friary was dissolved by King Henry VIII and granted to Thomas Cromwell. In 1569 it was acquired by the Great Yarmouth Corporation, and during the later 16th century, parts of the premises were leased to various prominent and wealthy townspeople. By 1582 a condition of the lease was that important visitors to the town should be lodged there. Part of the precinct was also used at this time by the local civilian militia. In 1657 the whole site was sold to John Woodroffe, on condition that he constructed two new rows across it. It was subsequently sold and developed piecemeal, but some of the medieval walls were incorporated in 17th century and later buildings. The standing remains of the cloister were opened up towards the end of the 19th century, and other parts have been exposed and restored since 1945.The standing ruins include part of the south wall of the church, the western alley of the adjoining cloister and walls relating to various buildings infilling the area to the south of the church and west of the cloister. The remains of the rectangular cloister are immediately to the south of the church, abutting the east end which contained the friars' choir and the presbytery. Around it would have been ranged the principal monastic apartments. A part of the north wall of the south cloister alley survives above ground, and it is thought that the areas to the south and east of this contain buried remains of the south range where, according to monastic custom, the refectory was normally situated, and of the east range, containing the friars' dormitory and the chapter house, where the business of the friary was discussed.It is currently (2010) under the Guardianship of English Heritage. |
More information : Friary (NR) (remains of) (NAT) (1)
The Fransican Friary at Great Yarmouth was founded in 1271. Its site was on ground now occupied by Queen Street and its precincts gradually extended from the River Yare on the west to Middlegate Street on the east. The friary was dissolved in 1538. (2,3)
The remains of the Fransiscan Friary comprising chapel and walling are contained within a locked compound; administered by the DOE and open to the public. Ground photographs. (4)
Ruins of the monastic church of the Franciscans comprising the west range of the cloisters and fragments of the south wall of the church. Founded c1226, enlarged 1285 and 1290, dissolved 1538. Present fragments of cloister early C14. Brick with ashlar dressings and some flint. 4 bays of the west walk of the cloister remain of which 2 have full vaulting: quadripartite rib vaults with longitudinal and transverse ribs and subsidiary tierceron ribs, all meeting at head bosses. The ribs drop to triple clustered colonnettes with mushroom capitals. The cloister internal windows are arched and separated by stepped side buttresses. 3 doorways opened from the cloister to the west: north one blocked and robbed, the middle one has a double wave-moulded arch (i.e. an addition of post 1320-30), the south one has a hollow chamfered arch. Abutting the west of the cloister are fragments of a 2-storey apartment with the remains of the springers of brick tierceron vaults at the upper level. West of this are remains of a house added after 1538. The south wall of the church has a prominent C16 fireplace to the first floor with an ashlar surround, and west of this is a 2 plus 4-light mullioned window with an acanthus console to the king mullion looking into a small yard to its west. In the church south wall a door leads to an excavated room containing 2 cusped and sub-cusped mid C14 wall tombs with ogee heads and remains of painting: standing and kneeling female figures under painted tracery. A third tomb was set to the east. Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The earliest known reference to the friary, which is said to have been founded by Sir William Gerbrigge, is in 1271, although it is thought that the Franciscans were established in Great Yarmouth soon after 1226. The original precinct was enlarged in 1285, 1291 and 1356 by taking in adjacent land to the north and south. The friary was suppressed in 1538 and the property granted to Thomas Cromwell. Following his downfall in 1540, it was given by the Crown to Sir Richard Williams, who later sold it. In 1569 it was acquired by the Great Yarmouth Corporation, and during the later 16th century parts of the premises were leased to various prominent and wealthy townspeople; a condition of one lease in 1582 was that important visitors to the town should be lodged there. Part of the precinct was also used at this time for the mustering of the Train Bands (civilian militia). In 1657 the whole site was sold to John Woodroffe, on condition that he constructed two new rows across it (Row 92 and Queen Street). It was subsequently sold and developed piecemeal, but some of the medieval walls were incorporated in 17th century and later buildings. The standing remains of the cloister were opened up towards the end of the 19th century, and other parts have been exposed and restored since 1945. Substantial buried footings of the friary church and the friary precinct walls to east and west of it were also located beneath Queen Street in 1896, during the excavation of a sewer trench.
The standing ruins include part of the south wall of the church, the western alley of the adjoining cloister and walls relating to various buildings infilling the area to the south of the church and west of the cloister. To the east and north east of these are buried remains relating to the east end of the church, and the eastern part of the cloister and associated claustral buildings. The remains of the rectangular cloister are immediately to the south of the church, abutting the east end which contained the friars' choir and the presbytery. Around it would have been ranged the principal monastic apartments. A part of the plinth of the inner (north) wall of the south cloister alley survives above ground, and it is thought that the areas to the south and east of this contain buried remains of the south range where, according to monastic custom, the refectory was normally situated, and of the east range, containing the friars' dormitory and the chapter house, where the business of the friary was discussed.
The standing walls display evidence of a complex sequence of alterations and additions of medieval and later date, including various blocked and inserted openings. The walls are constructed of mortared flint rubble, much of it including or patched with varying amounts of random brick and stone, with dressings of freestone and brick, and with insertions of brickwork of early post-medieval and later type. (5-7)
Wall painting shows a figurative scene with a femail figure positioned within an elaborate architectural framework. The figure may represent the Virgin, and that traces of another figure, turning towards her in prayer, may be a donar portrait. Both tombs are surrounded by finely scultped canopies which retain fragemetns of red and greenish-blue paint. The undersides of the arches conatain the remains of a geometric diamond pattern. High-quality pigments were used to excecute this sophisticated painting. (10) |