More information : SX 48055416 Nos 60 and 61 ("Blackfriars") Southside Street (South Side) Coates Distillery was founded in 1793 and
appears to have been remodelled in the early 19th century. The western part of the building incorporates the remains of a 15th century Dominican Friary. The building is stucco-fronted, of two storeys and contains a good 15th century granite doorway. An upper room (refectory?) has a fine open timber arch-braced roof with wind braces and moulded purlins.
The existence of a Dominican friary at Plymouth, probably on the Coates Distillery site, is suggested by records dealing with the administration of the estates of dissolved houses.
Pevsner says the friary was founded in 1383, but may be confusing the Dominicans with the Franciscan Friary (SX 54 SE 49) which was founded in that year. Knowles and Hadcock state that the evidence is only post-dissolution. (1-5)
The function of the late Mediaeval building on which the Distellery stands is unknown. (6)
Large merchant's house, later converted to a gin distillery, now part used as a public house and restaurant. c1500, was used as a gaol in 1605, as the Congregational meeting house from 1689-1705 and remodelled and extended as a gin distillery from 1793. There is no evidence that it was ever used as a friary (local tradition). Rendered rubble front with some granite dressings, rubble to left-hand return with many original granite features; dry slate hipped roofs end on to the street.
PLAN: Large and complex plan includes a deep original 1st-floor hall range on the left plus the left-hand wall surviving from a further C16 range at an angle beyond, a former open courtyard to right of this roofed over in the C18 or C19, right of this another deep range with very thick walls, presumably original but with no other visible dating features, and a further deep range at far right probably added in the C18 or C19. In fact the whole former probable garden area of the original medieval house is now roofed over.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; irregular street front with 6 1st-floor openings. (7) |