Greenwich Greyfriars |
| Hob Uid: 610589 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
Greenwich
Non Civil Parish
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| Grid Ref : TQ3851677907 |
| Summary : Franciscan friary of Observant Friars established at Greenwich in 1485 after Edward IV had been granted permission by the Pope. This was situated on land adjacent to the palace and was the first Observant House in England and originally consisted of a warden and 12 friars. The Franciscan Observants were suppressed for rejection of papal authority in 1534 and the friary was refounded as a Franciscan Conventual house which was dissolved in 1538. It was re-established again in 1555 for Observants but they were finally expelled in 1559 by Elizabeth I. No remains survive, but some idea of the plan and extent can be garnered from two drawings by van den Wyngaerde made in 1558. These suggest that the church was a simple nave and quire separated by a walking space, over which was a centrally placed belfry. The domestic buildings lay to the South. The buildings were demolished after the Restoration, and the North-West wing of the present hospital now stands on the site. |
More information : [TQ 38527791] Friar's Chapel (See illustration card NAR. no TQ 37 NE 15) (1)
A Franciscan friary of Observant Friars was established at Greenwich in 1485 after Edward IV was granted permission by the Pope. This was situated on land adjacent to the palace and was the first Observant House in England and originally consisted of a warden and 12 friars. The Franciscan Observants were suppressed for rejection of papal authority in 1534 and the friary was refounded as Franciscan Conventual which was dissolved in 1538. It was re-established again in 1555 for Observants but they were finally expelled in 1559 by Elizabeth I. (2-5)
House of the Observant Friars (TQ 38517 77915) Immediately to the west of the main palace lay the House of the Observant Friars. Wyngaerde's drawings of c.1558 show that the friary did not have a claustral plan. The church is illustrated as an aisle-less rectangular building aligned with the principal palace buildings, to which it was attached at its east end, and on an east-west axis. A spire is shown at the junction of nave and chancel. An irregular group of buildings depicted to the south of the church has been interpreted as the friary's domestic accommodation. Chalk foundations of a possible medieval date and moulded stonework have been identified by archaeological excavation and these along with deposits associated with the Friary's demolition in 1662 confirm its location.
Scheduled as `Greenwich Palace' (6)
For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England. (7)
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