| Summary : Franciscan foundation of 1263, dissolved 1538. Upstanding remains of the precinct wall and buried features. The monks were moved here, outside the North gate, in 1263 after 30 years of discouragement from the monks of St Edmund's Abbey. Excavations have revealed part of the precinct wall, several graves, one of which, a priest, may indicate the site of the church. The building within which this inhumation was found had impressions of tiles in the mortar. A second building which had at least 5 cells was also observed. Scheduled. Wall is Listed. |
More information : [Area centred TL 8507 6609] Greyfriars Monastery [G.T]
(Site of) [T.I.]
[TL 8500 6612] Gateway [G.T.] (Site of) [T.I.]
[TL 8503 6608] Ruin [G.T.]
Friary Wall [G.T.] (Remains of) [T.I.] [6 times]
Friary Walls [G.T.] (Remains of) [T.I.]
Human Remains found AD 1878 [T.I.] (1)
Franciscan Friars - Friars Minor Conventual. The Friary was founded on this site in 1263 and dis-solved in 1538 (2).
In 1864 a fragment, apparently of a pier of the belfry tower was to be seen. Parts of the enclosure wall, and of a footbridge [TL 86 NE 5] over the river remain. The fishponds also were distinguishable.(3).
Foundations and other remains were still visible in 1934 (4).
Nothing of the Franciscan buildings of Babwell Friary stands above ground, though the position and slope of the church (a plain, aiseless oblong) are known. The present house is 16th c.-17th c. (5)
The extant remains of the Friary consist, apart from a fishpond, entirely of broken stretches of precinct wall. This walling where intact, stands to a height of about 3.0m, is 0.4m thick and is built of rubble with flint and mortar facings. It extends from TL 8500 6614 to TL 8505 6598 east to TL 8516 6607 and N. to TL 8509 6616, and foundations of a similar wall have been encountered by workmen on a housing estate across the N. side. This encloses a roughly rectangular area. The walling on the E. side is reduced entirely to footings. There are the remains of a blocked gateway at TL 8500 6610 (this differs from the siting shown by Authority 1). Alderman Olly, of Fornham Priory, formerly Babwell Friary, the 16th.c. - 17th c. house on the site, possesses a plan undated but probably E. 19th c. It shows the foundation of the church, centred at TL8507 6604 with those of several other buildings on the N side. The area to the S. is annotated "Friary Graveyard".
Mrs. Olly stated that many large pieces of carved stone were uncovered and taken up when the lawn was extended a few years ago. The position agrees with that of the church on the plan. At TL 8508 6615 is a rectangular partly-waterfilled depression, annotated "Fishpond" on the plan.
(Published survey (25" 1926) revised, sites of church and graveyard, etc. - from 19th c. plan - plotted on AM)
Medieval boundary walls of Babwell Friary Gd II* (8)
Minor trenching revealed a substantial Medieval building. (9)
Babwell Friary (remains of). Scheduled. For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England. (11-12) |