Monument record MLI70101 - FRANCISCAN FRIARY SITE

Summary

FRANCISCAN FRIARY SITE

Type and Period (6)

  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Undated)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

PRN 70101 IN ABOUT 1230 WILLIAM OF BENINGWORTH, SUBDEAN OF LINCOLN, GRANTED A PLACE NEAR THE GUILDHALL TO THE FRANCISCAN OR GREY FRIARS AND CONFIRMATION WAS GIVEN 7/2/1230-1. THE OLD GUILDHALL WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FRIARS IN 1237. THERE WERE 53 GREY FRIARS IN 1300, 40 IN 1327 AND 37 IN 1335. THE FRIARY WAS DISSOLVED IN 1539. {1} THE AREA OF THE FRIARY WAS SMALL BEING BOUNDED BY BROADGATE ON THE EAST, SILVER STREET ON THE NORTH, AND PERHAPS FREE SCHOOL LANE ON THE WEST WHILE THE MARSHY BANK OF THE RIVER WOULD PREVENT AND EXTENSION ON THE SOUTH. {2} A BUILDING ON THE SOUTH OF THE FRIARY SITE SURVIVES TODAY. IT IS GENERALLY INTERPRETED AS THE CHURCH AND WAS BUILT ABOUT 1237. IT IS THE GREYFRIARS BUILDING AND IS A SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT (SEE 00025). {3}{4} Trial excavations in advance of the construction of the library revealed deposits relating to the Friary including a possible cloister garden soil and destruction deposits. {9} EXCAVATIONS ON THE NEW LIBRARY SITE IN 1994 IDENTIFIED SURVIVING REMAINS OF THE REFECTORY, KITCHEN, REREDORTER AND DORMITORIES. HEARTHS IN THE KITCHEN AREA WERE FOUND AS WERE A FIFTEENTH CENTURY TILED FLOOR. {5}{6} A WATCHING BRIEF WAS UNDERTAKEN DURING GROUNDWORKS ON THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SIDES OF THE GREYFRIARS BUILDING, AND CLOSE TO AND ABUTTING THE WEST GABLE. OBSERVATIONS MADE WITHIN 1.5M OF THE MONUMENT FAILS TO REVEAL ANY DEPOSITS OR FEATURES EARLIER THAN MID-LATE C19. THE PRESENCE OF THE VENTILATION WALL ALONG THE NORTHERN PART OF THE BUILDING HAD REMOVED ALL EVIDENCE WHICH MAY HAVE ESTABLISHED THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THOSE STRUCTURES IDENTIFIED DURING THE MAIN 1994 EXCAVATION OF THE SITE AND THE GREYFRIARS BUIDLING ITSELF. A MEDIEVAL WALL WAS REVEALED AND RECORDED, BUT COULD NOT, DUE TO LIMITED EXPOSURE, SHED LIGHT ON ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH GREYFRIARS. SIMILARLY WITH THE RESULTS FROM OBSERVATIONS MADE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE MONUMENT, THE LIMITED IMPACT OF GROUNDWORKS AND THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF PREVIOUS DESTRUCTION TO DEPOSITS MEANT NO PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN DEPOSITS OR FEATURES APART FROM THE NEWLY EXPOSED STONEWORK ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE ABUTTING ARCH, WERE RECORDED. {7}{8} An undated stone coffin and a large quantity of human remains were dug up at 10 Broadgate in 1845. These may have related to Greyfriars, but see also PRN 70149.{10} A watching brief on the site of the Drill Hall recorded a large limestone wall and an associated clay floor. Tile from the wall and floor dates approximately to 12th to 15th centuries. A sherd of window glass and pottery suggests that this building probably formed part of the Franciscan Friary that is known to have occupied the site from 1231 to 1539. Evidence of a further building was recorded, also 12th to 15th century in date, it is unclear whether both the buildings were standing at the same time. {11}{12} A further watching brief on the site revealled two limestone walls,these are also thought to form part of the Friary. A grave of an adult male, aligned east-west was also recorded. {13}{14} An archaeological watching brief was conducted during the installation of a new telephone cable system in Lincoln. A trench was excavated in the passageway between Lincoln Library / Greyfriars and St swithin's Church. A single limestone architectural fragment was retrieved. It was a fragment of window tracery comprising a centre mullion head junction dated to the 12th to 13th century, with a centre mark on the base. The fragment was found with five rectangular blocks of limestone, which were recorded and photographed but not kept. A small assemblage of 12th to 13th century roof tile was also retrieved. The artefacts found near the library confirms the remains of the Greyfriars. The wathcing brief also noted a layer of limestone fragments, c.1.9m wide, which crossed the trench and were possibly the remains of a north to south aligned wall.{15]{16}

Sources/Archives (16)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - Second Edition. PP 222, 226.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. PP 222-4.
  •  Article in Serial: Wilford, John. 1994. Lincoln Archaeology 1993-4. PP38-41.
  •  Article in Serial: MARTIN A R. 1935. ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL. VOL 92 PP 42-63.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1996. Central Library, Lincoln: Archaeological Excavation and Assessment. GLB94.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1996. Lincoln Central Library Archaeological Evaluation. LCNCC 32.94.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1996. Greyfrairs, Free School Lane, Lincoln: Archaeological Recording. GLC95.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1996. Greyfrairs, Free School Lane, Lincoln: Archaeological Recording. LCNCC 104.95.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1991. Lincoln Central Library Archaeological Evaluation. -.
  •  Index: SMR file cards for Lincoln. LINCOLN. SK9771SE.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 2004. The Drill Hall, Broadgate, Lincoln. BDH03.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 2004. The Drill Hall, Broadgate, Lincoln. LCNCC: 2003.142.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2004. Archaeological Watching brief at the Drill Hall, Free School Lane, Lincoln. LDH 03.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2004. Archaeological Watching brief at the Drill Hall, Free School Lane, Lincoln. LCNCC: 2003.330.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Sep 2005. Archaeological Watching Brief, Telephone Cable Ducting, Lincoln. LTCS05.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Sep 2005. Archaeological Watching Brief, Telephone Cable Ducting, Lincoln. LCNCC 2005.52.

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Grid reference Centred SK 9775 7129 (81m by 165m)
Civil Parish ABBEY, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Events/Activities (7)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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