Dominican Friary (Blackfriars)

HER Number

1433

District

Newcastle

Site Name

Dominican Friary (Blackfriars)

Place

Newcastle

Map Sheet

NZ26SW

Class

Religious Ritual and Funerary

Site Type: Broad

Religious House

Site Type: Specific

Dominican Friary

General Period

MEDIEVAL

Specific Period

Medieval 1066 to 1540

Form of Evidence

Extant Building

Description

The first reference to the friary dates from 1239. Their precinct was acquired piecemeal, and came to extend east-west from Low Friar St to beyond Corporation St, and north-south from Morden Tower to the town wall. The gatehouse was probably in Low Friar Lane. Its buildings included a church (with 6-7 bay aisled nave), 90 foot square south cloister with lean-to walks, an East range (sacristy, slype, chapter house, ? Warming house and dormitory above), a South range (daystair, slype, refectory, slype, ? Kitchen), and a West range (external lavatorium, guesthall, slype). The buildings were largely of one period, with a few minor alterations. It was surrendered in 1539 by the prior and 12 friars. The church, sacristy, east half of chapter house and cloister were then demolished, and exist today only as foundations. The remaining buildings were bought by the town, and adapted in the 16th -17th centuries and 20th century for other uses. SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT AND LISTED GRADE 1

Easting

424450

Northing

564200

Grid Reference

NZ424450564200

Sources

<< HER 1433 >> H. Bourne, 1736, History of Newcastle, 19-22; J. Brand, 1789, History of Newcastle, I, 122-33, 597-600; Rev. C.F.R. Palmer, 1878,The Friar-Preachers, or Blackfriars, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, The Reliquary, XVIII (1877-78), 71-76, 161-66; W.H. Knowles, 1921, Monastery of the Black Friars, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Archaeologia Aeliana, 3, XVII, 315-336; B. Harbottle & R. Fraser 1987, Black Friars, Newcastle upon Tyne, after the Dissolution... Archaeologia Aeliana, 5, XV, 23-149; Calendar Liberate Rolls Rolls, 1226-40, 368-9; Letters & Papers Foreign & Domestic Henry VIII, XIV, pt. 1, nos. 43, 394; Letters & Papers Foreign & Domestic Henry VIII, XIX, pt. 1, no. 278 (27); Excavation report, Medieval Archaeology, 1986, Medieval Britain in 1985, XXX,; B. Harbottle, 1987, A Guide to Newcastle upon Tyne Blackfriars; Grace McCombie, 2009, Newcastle and Gateshead - Pevsner Architectural Guide, p 176; Barbara Harbottle, 2009, The Medieval Archaeology of Newcastle in Diana Newton and AJ Pollard (eds), 2009, Newcastle and Gateshead before 1700, page 32-4; Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1327-30, 392; https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1003514; https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1355267