| Summary : Ruins of a Franciscan friary founded by 1277 and dissolved in 1538. It was originally located nearer the sea but as it was threatened by erosion it was moved to this site in 1290. Surviving remains include the precinct wall with two gatehouses in excellent condition, and the South range of the cloister, possibly the refectory. An evaluation in 1999 located the plan of the church, which was an aisled nave with quire, and confirmed the existence of the extensive East range of the cloister, a north range, and other buildings South of the nave. |
More information : (TM 478 704) Grey Friars Monastery (NR) (Remains of);
(TM 47717042) Gateways (NR) (Remains of). (1)
A Franciscan Friary founded at Dunwich by Richard FitzJohn and his wife Alice and after by Henry III (a), was recorded in 1277 (b) when there were already 20 friars (c). In 1289 it was moved from its original site, further inland to where the ruins and precinct walls still remain. It was suppressed by the Bishop of Dover about Nov 1538. (2-3)
A considerable part of the convent including the church, was demolished by the reformers, the remainder was used as a residence, a town hall and a jail at different periods (d). Buildings were erected here a little over a century ago but have been removed (4). Excavations by Norris 1935-9 revealed foundations dating after 13th century which corresponded fairly closely with an eastern wing of extensive buildings shown on Aggas plan (about 1580) of ancient Dunwich: Norris suggests it may have been part of the infirmary (see illustrations). Perhaps the principal features are two very fine entrance gates, one for ordinary use and the other for a carriageway (4). (4-6)
All that remains of the monastery is the shell of a two storey domestic building (heavily restored, probably after the Dissolution) at TM 47777035, and the complete but thoroughly restored precinct wall containing two gatehouses in excellent condition. See ground photographs. There is no trace of the building excavated by Norris at TM 4780 7036(5)(6).
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (7)
TM 4777 7036. In October 1993, RCHME's Cambridge Office carried out emergency recording of a section of the precinct wall of Greyfriars priory which was threatened by coastal erosion, following a request from Suffolk County Council (8). In April 1994, an earthwork survey of the remainder of the site was completed. The Franciscan friary, commonly known as Greyfriars, is situated on high ground to the south of the modern village of Dunwich; it should not be confused with the former mansion of the Barne family, also known as Greyfriars at TM 4752 7002. The site comprises an irregular triangle of ground, 2.90 ha in extent, enclosed by a precinct wall and bounded on the west by the road between Dunwich and Westleton. To the east, the precinct is separated from the cliff edge by a narrow strip of land less than 30m wide containing the remains of All Saints' churchyard (TM 47 SE 8). The remnant of the Pales Dyke lies to the south-east (TM 47 SE 9).
The precinct consists of open grassland, the ruins of the friary comprise a roofless stone building and two arched gateways, situated adjacent to one another in the west wall of the precinct. A later stable block is situated against the west wall of the precinct, to the north of the gateways, surrounded by five temporary sheds. The latter are a very recent introduction. Within the precinct are a number of slight earthworks, in the southern half of the area these post-date plough cultivation in 1958 visible on aerial photographs.
In 1290 an existing Franciscan community was granted a new, enclosed site on the western fringe of the medieval town. The grant included part of the town defences, presumably redundant by this time. The Franciscan friary was dissolved c1538 and the site quickly converted to secular uses; most of the conventual buildings were demolished, the remainder incorporated into a new house for the lay owners. The former precinct was turned over to orchards and gardens.
In the early 18th century the existing house was modernised by the addition of a brick facade in the Georgian style. Parts of the complex were given over to civil administrative functions including a town hall and a jail. Within a century the house was abandoned and all except the medieval core demolished. For a few decades the precinct was used as a farmyard, but by 1848 even the agricultural buildings had become derelict. The remains of the medieval friary were preserved as a romantic ivy-clad ruin. Since the 19th century the precinct has been used for low-key agricultural activities with a short-lived phase of ploughing in the post war period.
Three broad types of building material were identified in the precinct wall possibly suggestive of phases of development; pebble matrix, sandstone courses and brick and pebble banded walling. At least one phase of pebble construction dates to the medieval period, since both the gateways (dated stylistically to the 14th century) and part of the ruins are built of a distinctive combination of dressed flint and freestone. The sandstone used is similar to that used to build Orford Castle in the 12th century; the sandstone courses may represent either the original building, the incorporation of an earlier wall or later rebuilding of the wall using stone from another source. The brick and pebble banded walling occurs in the south wall of the precinct and the stable block which probably dates to the 18th century.
For further details see RCHME Level 3 client report and plan at 1:1000 scale, deposited in the NMR Archive. (8) |