| Summary : The Ludgate Dominican Friary, of which only a section of wall now remains, was occupied from around 1278 by friars from the Old Blackfriars at Holborn, London. Robert FitzWalter granted Baynards Castle, and the Montfichet Tower to the friars of Ludgate in 1278. In 1294, the property was extended to include land at the Bridewell and Puddle Docks. It was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1538. Most of the monastery was destroyed after the Dissolution, but part of it was converted as the Blackfriars theatre in 1576. The theatre closed in 1584, however, in 1597 James Burbage bought the former refectory and converted it into the second Blackfriars theatre. A petition prevented his company, the King's Men, from performing there initially, but in 1608 they were finally able to use the theatre for their winter performances. The King's Men used the Blackfriars theatre until 1642 when it was closed, like nearly all theatres, during the Civil War. It was demolished in 1655. A new church, St Ann's Blackfriars, was built on the site in the 17th century near the Blackfriars theatre, however this building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 along with the remaining parts of the monastery. AW Clapham produced a plan of the friary from a survey of 1551. The church lay to the north, had an aisled nave with small central tower; the Lady Chapel was north-west of the nave and choir. The east range of the cloister had the sacristy, stores, kitchen, chapter house, school house and priors lodging. The south range had the kitchen/buttery and refectory, and the west range had the guest house with porters lodge to the west. In the south-east corner of the cloister was the infirmary with its own sub-cloister. Here were the bakehouse, brewhouse, library and infirmary. The south and west wall of the church, and four piers of the south arcade have been located, along with the undercroft of the priors lodgings, and parts of the cemetery to the west. |
More information : [Name centred TQ31788101]. SITE OF NEW HOUSE OF BLACK FRIARS [AT]
['A' Name centred TQ31808100]. SITE OF CLOISTER'S [AT]
['B' Name centred TQ31858106]. SITE OF GATE [AT]
['C' Name centred TQ31738108]. SITE OF GATE [AT] (1)
WALL, on the S. side of the detached graveyard of St. Anne Blackfriars, on the N. side of Ireland Yard, is of rag-stone rubble and appears to have formed part of the S. wall of a vaulted undercroft to the E. of the cloister of the Dominican Convent. The remainder of the undercroft was destroyed in 1900 and portions removed to the Dominican Church, Haverstock Hill (see London, Vol.II, p.89)
THE TIMES OFFICES. Medieval walling, running E. and W. and composed of chalk, rag-stone, etc., was found in 1928 under the buildings to the N.W. of Printing House Square. They formed part of the outlying buildings of the Dominican Convent and portions of them will be preserved in situ. (2)
The Ludgate Dominican Friary, of which only a section of wall now remains, was occupied from around 1278 by friars from the Old Blackfriars at Holborn, London. Robert FitzWalter granted Baynards Castle, and the Montfichet Tower to the friars of Ludgate in 1278. In 1294, the property was extended to include land at the Bridewell and Puddle Docks. It was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1538. Most of the monastery was destroyed after the Dissolution, but part of it was converted as the Blackfriars theatre in 1576.
AW Clapham produced a plan of the friary from a survey of 1551. The church lay to the north, had an aisled nave with small central tower; the Lady Chapel was north-west of the nave and choir. The east range of the cloister had the sacristy, stores, kitchen, chapter house, school house and priors lodging. The south range had the kitchen/buttery and refectory, and the west range had the guest house with porters lodge to the west. In the south-east corner of the cloister was the infirmary with its own sub-cloister. Here were the bakehouse, brewhouse, library and infirmary. The south and west wall of the church, and 4 piers of the south arcade have been located, along with the undercroft of the priors lodgings, and parts of the cemetery to the west. (3-4)
The first Blackfriars theatre was established by Richard Farrant, Master of the Children of Windsor Chapel in 1576. Farrant established his theatre in part of the former ecclesiastical complex and it remained in operation until 1584. It was closed by Sir William More, Farrant's landlord, who thought the building he was leasing was being used as a schoolroom, but discovered, to his displeasure, that it was being used as a theatre. Little is known about the building, except that it was a large, rectangular hall created by the removal of partitioning walls.
With his lease on the Theatre due to expire in April 1597, James Burbage bought the former refectory of the Blackfriars monastery for £600. He spent more on its conversion to a theatre, which was a separate part of the complex to the first Blackfriars theatre. After acquiring it, Burbage was the unable to use the theatre, however, after a successful petition against its use was presented to the privy Council. Eventually, the King's Men, with whom Burbage was involved, were able to play at the Blackfriars theatre. (5)
The theatre was leased by Richard Burbage to Henry Evans in 1600 at £40 per annum for a lease period of 21 years. In August 1608, however, Burbage took back the lease for the use of the King's Men, the acting company of which William Shakespeare was a part owner. As this was an indoors theatre, the company performed at the Blackfriars during the winter months and at the Globe theatre in the summer.
The Kings Men used the Blackfriars theatre until 1642 when it was closed, as with nearly all theatres, during the Civil War. It was demolished in 1655. (6)
St Ann Blackfriars church was built near the Blackfriars theatre in the 17th century. The Great Fire of London destroyed the church in 1666. (7)
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