| Summary : The lesser hospice of Friarside founded before 1312 dissolved probably in the 15th century. Usually called a hospital, but sometimes a chapel or chantry. The roofless remains consist of a chapel 6 m wide and 9.7 m long with a later building, 6 m wide and 5 m long, at the west end. The east wall, about 7 m high, contains a window of 3 lights to full height with a circular window above. In the south wall is a large segmental arched doorway, a smaller ogee headed doorway and two decorated windows. The north, west and south walls are about 4 m high. |
| More information : NZ 1624 5787 Chapel (NR) (remains of) (NAT)
NZ 1618 5782 Low Friarside Farm (NAT) (1)
The lesser hospice of Friarside founded before 1312 dissolved
probably in the 15th century. Usually called a hospital, but
sometimes a chapel or chantry. (2)
Friarside Chapel. Mid 14th century church. Grade I. (3)
The roofless remains consist of a chapel 6 m wide and 9.7 m long with
a later building, 6 m wide and 5 m long, at the west end. The east
wall, about 7 m high, contains a window of 3 lights to full height
with a circular window above. In the south wall is a large segmental
arched doorway, a smaller ogee headed doorway and two decorated
windows. The north, west and south walls are about 4 m high. (4)
The chapel is as described by Authority 4. Its walls are 0.7 m thick.
See ground photograph from the SE (FAS/NR 1-14). Resurveyed at 1:2500
(Error in published plan position). (5)
Friarside Chapel, (formerly listed under Rowlands Gill), 14th century
and later Medieval. Grade II*. (6)
The site was visited by RCHME during a survey of scheduled
monuments in County Durham.
The chapel, measuring externally 14.8 m E-W by 5.9 m transversely, is
generally as described by the English Heritage Field Monuments
Warden (7a). It is situated on a slight terrace on a N-facing slope
in a pasture field, formerly a market garden. The greater eastern
part is faced on both sides with large squared-off sandstone blocks;
the inner face towards the east end of the south wall and the SE
corner have to some extent been rebuilt with smaller stones. The east
window and the two in the south wall as well as the ogee-headed
doorway and archway appear to be architecturally cohesive. The arch
way is not rebated for a door, and appears to have been an arcade to
a side chamber or further building of which there is now no trace.
Five stones protruding from the south wall west of the ogee-headed
doorway and another east of the archway may be the remains of this
side chamber, but they are not entirely convincing. There have been
some stones removed from the vicinity of the archway which is now
vulnerable to collapse. The west extention is built of random rubble
brought to the level every 0.6 m or so; it is not of the quality of
the rest of the building but is nevertheless well-built. The squared
off quoins are similar to those on the east part of the building and
are probably a re-use from the earlier description of the monument.
(7)
The low structural remains of the Friarside Chapel are visible on historical and more recent air photos. (9-10)
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