Greyfriars, Dunwich

Greyfriars, Dunwich was a Franciscan friary in Dunwich in the English county of Suffolk. The friary was founded before 1277 by Richard FitzJohn and his wife Alice and dissolved in 1538.[1] The original site, which had 20 friars in 1277 when it first appears in records, was threatened by coastal erosion and the friary was moved inland in 1289.[1]

Greyfriars, Dunwich
Ruins of a stone building with numerous arches in a rural location
Remains of Greyfriars Priory south range buildings, probably the refectory
Greyfriars, Dunwich is located in Suffolk
Greyfriars, Dunwich
Location within Suffolk
Monastery information
OrderFranciscan
EstablishedBefore 1277
Disestablished1538
People
Founder(s)Richard FitzJohn and Alice
Architecture
StatusRuins
Heritage designationGrade II* listed building, Scheduled Monument
Site
LocationDunwich, Suffolk, England
CountryEngland
Coordinates52.2755°N 1.6307°E / 52.2755; 1.6307
Public accessYes
WebsiteDunwich Greyfriars Trust

Many of the buildings are believed to have been destroyed on dissolution, with the remains used as a house, a town hall and a jail at various times. Modern remains consist of a precinct wall, two gatehouses and some two-storey walls believed to be the remains of a cloister building, possibly a refectory or infirmary building.[1][2]

A stone wall with two large arches, one of which contains a wooden gate, with a sign in front of them reading "Welcome to Greyfriars medieval friary"
Dunwich Greyfriars gateway

The site was partly excavated in the 1930s and 1990s, with geophysical surveys being carried out on the site.[2] The site was surveyed in 2011 as part of a dig by archaeological television programme Time Team. A geophysical survey using ground-penetrating radar confirmed a range of wall features and other anomalies in the precinct[3] and trenches uncovered carved medieval stonework and medieval window glass fragments.[2][4] Geophysical surveys suggest that the friary church may have been up to 60 metres in length.[2]

Some restoration work was carried out in 2008, including the strengthening of some buildings and repair of collapsed section of the precinct wall.[5] The site was then placed on the Heritage at Risk Register,[6] leading to a £250,000 restoration project in 2012 by English Heritage and Suffolk County Council.[7][8] The management of the site was taken over by a local voluntary group, the Dunwich Greyfriars Trust, in October 2013.[8][9] The transfer occurred after budget cuts by the county council meant that the running costs would no longer be met by the council.[7][8][10] The remains are classified as a Grade II* listed building and most of the site as a Scheduled Monument.[11][12]

See also

List of monastic houses in Suffolk

References
  1. Historic England. "Dunwich Greyfriars (392095)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  2. Dunwich, Suffolk - archaeological evaluation and assessment of results, Wessex Archaeology, May 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  3. Greyfriars, Dunwich Museum. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  4. Dig report: Dunwich, Time Team, Channel 4. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  5. Priory in 'lost' town is restored, BBC news website, 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  6. Heritage at Risk Register 2011 - East of England, English Heritage, 2011. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  7. Ruins in Dunwich and Clare given £400,000 for restoration, BBC news website, 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  8. Dunwich Greyfriars site taken over by charitable trust, BBC news website, 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  9. New future for Dunwich Greyfriars Archived 2014-02-23 at archive.today, Suffolk County Council, 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  10. Suffolk County Council plans to cut country parks, BBC news website, 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  11. Remains of Grey Friars Monastery, Dunwich, British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  12. Historic England. "Grey Friars (1006039)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
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