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BEVERLEY BLACKFRIARS

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Dominican friary, founded before 1240, dissolved in 1539. Excavations in the 1960s and 1970s have recovered most of the plan of the priory. The church had a nave with south aisle and chapel, and presbytery. The great cloister lay to the north, and north of that was the early 14th century little cloister. The west range of the cloister included the dormitory and reredorter. The chapter house lay immediately north of the church. Development of the town between Eastgate and the station allowed further excavations between 1986-9 which concentrated on the west end of the church, west and north sides of the cloister. Parts of the West precinct wall were located. A house contains remains of the friary (see TA03NW86).

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[Name centred:TA 0384 3934] DOMINICAN FRIARY [GT] (Remains of) [TI] (1)

The Dominican Friary of Beverley seems to have been founded before 1240. It was dissolved in 1539. In 1884, the grounds were still surrounded by brick walls with ornamented gateways opening into Eastgate, and Charity [Chantry] Lane. Only part of the original house remained, the buildings having been converted into dwellings and outhouses.Scheduled. [See AO/61/235/1] (2-4)

In September 1960, rescue excavations were instituted by the Ministry of Works in the orchard west of the Old Friary House TA 0386 3935. These excavations revealed several areas of substantial wall footings, the remains of a hearth, and a well, probably representing the remains of the southern range of the claustral buildings. The remains now being cleared on the NE may prove to be those of the church. The present house at TA 0386 3935 is a two storeyed building with central and western gables, and is mainly brick built. Remains of the Friary are incorporated in the north and south walls of its eastern end. They are of random rubble interspersed with patches of modern brick, and stand to the full height of the house. Both walls are buttressed, and contain a number of blocked single and two light windows.
See GPs AO/61/99/4, 6, & 8 for northern and southern elevations.

Walling being revealed by the excavations now in progress, is approximately 18" below ground level, and the major sections are 1.0m thick. Burials are still in situ, and so far unclassified. The area of the previous discoveries (authy. 6) is now completely occupied by a new building.
See attached enlarged sketch plan for the state of the excavations at the date of field investigation.

Fragments of the boundary wall containing the ornamented gateways (authy. 2) are still extant. The brickwork is similar in character to that of the house. Two symmetrical patches of rubble on either side of the western gate suggest possible blocked subsidiary entrances.
See GPs AO/61/99/5 & 7 for gateways. (5)(5a)

Additional reference. (6)

Old Friary. 16th century remodelling of Dominican Friary. Grade II*. Precinct wall of Dominican Friary. Grade II. (7)

Excavation summaries 1960-1963. (8)(9)(10)

TA 038 393, TA 039 394. Blackfriars (remains of). Scheduled No HU/110.

The precinct walls and two gateways remain of the Dominican friary, Beverley, facing Eastgate and Chantry Lane. After the reformation, a portion of the domestic buildings were converted into a private dwelling (now three cottages). Some of the medieval precinct wall remains, particularly that facing Eastgate and probably the gateway is medieval. The gateway in Chantry Lane is Tudor and is probably of the same date as the alterations to the domestic buildings.

The standing friary building consists of a stone-built buttressed range aligned east-west and an L-shaped brick-built wing at its west end. There is a two-storeyed brick porch. The stone range is probably of 14th century date while the brickwork dates largely to the 16th or 17th century and is therefore post-suppression. The original purpose of this building within the friary is not known, though it seems to have been an open hall with, at least in the post-medieval period, a two-storeyed chamber at the west end. It lay west of the friary church, abutting its north west corner. In the brick wing there is a staircase and panelling of 16th century date.

The friary buildings were completed in 1310 on a four acre site donated by Stephen Goldsmith. It housed 42 Dominican friars. After a disastrous fire in 1449 it was rebuilt only to be dissolved in 1539 by Henry VIII. It subsequently passed into private ownership and the railway line constructed in 1846 cut right through the site of the friary church. During the 20th century the remaining friary building was converted into three cottages and the land acquired by a factory.
(11)

Listed. (12)

Report on excavations 1986-9. (13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1927

( 2) edited by William Page 1913 The Victoria history of the county of York: volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)263-4

( 3) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)183

( 4) General reference

Old Yorkshire 5 1884 12 (ed W Smith)

( 5a) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 RWE 23-JUN-61

( 6) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

41, 1963 Page(s)3

( 7) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (Listed Buildings) 29th list Borough of Beverley (Humberside) 26-03-87 22

( 8) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

5, 1961 Page(s)314

( 9) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

6-7, 1962-3 Page(s)317

(10) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

8, 1964 Page(s)245-6

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

English Heritage SAM List Humbs March 1994 3

(12) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)215

(13) by Martin Foreman 1996 Further excavations at the Dominican priory, Beverley, 1986-89

Sheffield excavation reports1 (1991) - 4

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THE OLD FRIARY
BEVERLEY

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16th century remodelling of a mediaeval building associated with the Dominican Friary. 2 storeys in brick and stone, undergoing extensive restoration ...

THE OLD FRIARY
BEVERLEY

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16th century remodelling of a mediaeval structure founded by the Dominicans in 1210. The status of the monastic building is debatable. 2 storeys in br...

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