Monument record MLI83266 - Site of Blackfriars, Monks Road/Lindum Road

Summary

Site of Blackfriars, Monks Road/Lindum Road.

Type and Period (15)

  • (Medieval - 1238 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1238 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1238 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1238 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1325 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1150 AD to 1250 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1299 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1499 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1238 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD?)
  • (Medieval - 1125 AD to 1500 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1125 AD to 1500 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1125 AD to 1500 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1125 AD to 1500 AD)
  • ? (Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1500 AD?)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

Documentary evidence places the Blackfriars site on the site of the present-day Lincolnshire College of Art and Design and North Lincolnshire College, with the place-name Friars Lane referred to in documents of 1833, and the Blackfriars site shown on a 1610 map by Speed. The friary was founded in 1238 and dissolved in 1539. There were apparently forty-seven friars in 1300, forty-five friars in 1302-3, thirty-eight in 1328, and forty-five in 1335. In June 1238, Henry III gave timber and one hundred shillings towards the expenses of the Blackfriars provincial chapter. A further contribution, of ten pounds, was made by the king in 1244, and a Royal grant of ten oaks for timber in 1255 shows that building work was still continuing. In 1260 the friars obtained the abbot's leave to enclose a spring in the territory of a cell of the abbey of St Mary's of York to carry water as far as the road from Greetwell to Lincoln (see PRN 70015), and the king allowed the friars to carry this conduit along the road to their house. In the late 13th century the friars began to rebuild their church, which, along with the churchyard, was consecrated in 1311. The house surrendered to the Bishop of Dover in 1538-9, when it was poor but well-leaded. The site at this time comprised circa ten acres. Fragments of the friary survived until at least 1724 when Samuel Buck, artist and engraver, made sketches. The foundations of an apsidal building were discovered in 1931 during construction of the Technical College. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7} A watching brief was carried out during pre-construction ground investigations at Lincoln College, Abbey Street, Lincoln. The watching brief monitored machine-excavated test pits and identified the remains of a substantial stone building, lying at a shallow depth and extending over much of the western part of the site. The main north to south wall of the building was found (and partially destroyed) during excavation of one of the test pits. Other test pits to the south revealed associated buttresses. It was felt that, given the nature and setting of the remains, the walls formed part of the Blackfriars Friary. In response to these findings, the watching brief was amended to allow further recording of the building, as part of mitigation procedures and a limited archaeological excavation was initiated. The excavation revealed further archaeologically significant remains. Surviving in places to just above foundation level, the excavated remains included sections of the east and south walls, and their junction at the south-eastern corner of the building. Here, the structure survived to a maximum of three courses above foundation level; elsewhere it had been demolished to the top of its foundations. Above-ground walls were buttresses at three points on the east side and two on the south side. At the base of the walls (where surviving), including buttresses was a course of finely cut stone - 160mm deep, with a projecting chamfer on its external side. Five stone masons marks were recorded on the chamfered stone. Internal elements included a chamfered stone column base, lying at the north western corner, in line with the northernmost buttress of the east wall and with the westernmost buttress of the south wall. The column base was octagonal in plan and measured 250mm high by 880mm across. The base sat on foundation stones constructed from irregularly shaped limestone blocks. Another feature to the south of the column base was interpreted as the foundations for a second column. An internal wall aligned east to west ran between the second (possible) column and a point slightly to the north of the centre line of the corresponding eastern buttress. The wall partitioned the visible part of the building into two distinct areas or 'rooms'. The northern 'room' had a layer of clay, interpreted as a possible floor surface or even a bedding layer for a tile floor. The clay 'floor' was sealed by a shallow depth of coarse sand containing a single fragment of 14th to mid 15th century pottery. On the eastern side, the clay layer abutted wall remnants of whitish (painted) wall plaster. The southern room contained mortar deposits interleaved with dark grey/black silty sand layers reminiscent of construction debris rather than floor material. It is possible that the southern 'room' had a suspended timber floor. Datable material was sparse; a single sherd of mid 12th to middle 13th century pottery was retrieved from one of the mortar layers, while small assemblages from overlying deposits might relate to a late 13th to mid 14th century phase of activity. It has been suggested that the stone building occupying the western part of the site might represent the southern end of a range on the eastern side of a southern cloister. From the available evidence the building would appear to have been of high quality with substantial foundations and a chamfered stone base. The column base(s) and stones from rib-vaulting recovered from demolition deposits indicate a two-storey building with a vaulted ground floor comparable to the surviving Greyfriars building on Broadgate. In the absence of a securely dated sequence of stratigraphy, dating is problematic. However, on architectural grounds the building can be placed at around the mid 13th century. If so, the building would represent an early element in the development of the friary with construction commencing within 20 years of its foundation. Pottery recovered from the primary fills of a large, steep-sided pit immediately west of the building suggests that activity in the area was probably underway by the 12th century. To the east of the friary building, a layer c.200mm thick of compacted creamy yellow mortar with frequent limestone fragments extended over much of the site, and may be interpreted as an external surface laid during or shortly after the construction of the building. {8}{9} Archaeological evaluation (trial trenching) was undertaken on Cathedral Street, Lincoln in advance of building extension to the Temple and Abbey Buildings of Lincoln College. Two trenches were excavated, and the southernmost trench revealed a 13th century Christian burial 1.10m below the present ground level. The burial is probably associated with the friary. {10}{11} Archaeological evaluation (trial trenching) was undertaken in advance of building extension of Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln. A single trench was excavated and revealed medieval stone walls, probably belonging to the nearby Dominican Friary. {12}{13} Two trial trenches were excavated in advance of an extension and a lift shaft at Lincoln College. Evidence of a wall dated to 12th to 15th century by pottery was uncovered. They are believed to belong to the Dominican Friary which was on this site at this date. {14}{15} A watching brief at Cathedral Street, Lincoln exposed undated post Roman features cut into a dark earth deposit. This was sealed by numerous stone walls, floors, burials and robber trenches associated with the Dominican friary. These are believed to be associated with the claustral area of the friary, particularly parts of the Chapter House and Dortor. Evidence for the dismantling of the monastic buildings after the Dissolution was found as were later robber trenches and walls relating to unknown structures. The watching brief retrieved a number of significant finds, most notably decorated architectural fragments dating to the early 13th century. {16}{17} A watching brief at Lincoln College revealed numerous stone walls, floors and robber trenches associated with the Dominican friary as well as earlier medieval deposits of uncertain function over a dark earth deposit and sealed by the friary remains. Evidence of the destruction of the friary including robber trenches was also recovered. The friary remains are probably associated with the church and western outbuildings, though further interpretation was impossible due to the limited scope of the investigation. Various finds were also recovered including a ceramic horse figurine, decorated architectural fragments, a copper alloy chain and pottery sherds. {18}{19} Evidence of medieval occupation and activity, most likely associated with the Blackfriars, was recorded during an excavation and subsequent watching brief at the Dean's Building, Lincoln College, in 2011. This part of Lincoln appears to have been a centre for pottery production until the late 12th/early 13th century, when the expansion of the Blackfriars pushed the pottery industry further out of the city. Evidence of several ditches and pits were recorded, along with several oven or hearth structures, consistent with domestic occupation by the Blackfriars. One of the ovens appears to have been used for malting and so would be a malt kiln. A single burial within a stone lined grave was also recorded. {20}{21}

Sources/Archives (21)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1984. The Place-Names of Lincolnshire, Part 1. 1. pp. 15, 16 and 67.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - Second Edition. pp. 214 and 217.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. pp. 220-222.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: HILL, J.W.F.. 1948. Medieval Lincoln. pp. 150, 161 and 207.
  •  Article in Serial: Stocker, D.A.. 1990. ‘The archaeology of the Reformation in Lincoln’ in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. Figs.1a and 1b, p. 23.
  •  Unpublished Document: A.J. White. 1979. Lincoln's Medieval Friaries. p. 3.
  •  Unpublished Document: A.J. White. 1980. St Mary's Conduit, Lincoln. p. 2.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Dec 2003. New Learning Centre, Lincoln College, Abbey Street/Monks Road, Lincoln. LCB02.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Dec 2003. New Learning Centre, Lincoln College, Abbey Street/Monks Road, Lincoln. LCNCC 2002.453.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Nov 2003. Archaeological Trial Trenching, Cathedral Street, Lincoln. LCSZ03.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Nov 2003. Archaeological Trial Trenching, Cathedral Street, Lincoln. LCNCC 2003.288.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Nov 2003. Archaeological Trial Trench at Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln. LCMR03.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Nov 2003. Archaeological Trial Trench at Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln. LCNCC 2003.312.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jun 2005. Trail trenching at Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln. LCLS05.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jun 2005. Trail trenching at Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln. LCNCC 2005.69.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jan 2006. Archaeological Watching Brief at Lincoln College, Cathedral Street. LCSZ03.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jan 2006. Archaeological Watching Brief at Lincoln College, Cathedral Street. LCNCC 2003.288.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. 2006. Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln: Archaeological Watching Brief. LCMR03.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. 2006. Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln: Archaeological Watching Brief. LCNCC 2003.312.
  •  Report: Allen Archaeology Ltd. 2012. Lincoln College, Lincoln. AAL site code: LICO 11.
  •  Archive: Allen Archaeology Ltd. 2012. Lincoln College, Lincoln. LCNCC 2012.118.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 9797 7150 (181m by 158m) Approximate
Civil Parish ABBEY, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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