Bamburgh Friary

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House, and also as a Possible Fortified Ecclesiastical site

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameBamburgh Friary
Alternative NamesFriary Farm
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishBamburgh

Dominican Friary founded in 1265 and dissolved in 1539. Remains of the friary are incorporated in later buildings, although the remains are not diagnostic. Evaluation ahead of conversion of farm buildings to domestic use at The Friars in 1992 revealed the extant of the friary complex. The north wall of the farm building block was found to incorporate the north wall of the conventual church of the Friary, and further trial trenches revealed the extent of the cloister to the South of the church, and buildings to the South-East. The church had a short North aisle of 3-bays which was demolished after the dissolution. The entire complex was then converted into a defendable domestic house, retaining the closter as a courtyard. This in turn was demolished and replaced by the farmhouse in C18. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Brooke suggests the friary church may have been defensible although the evidence for that seems slight. However it was normal for conventual buildings to have some degree of enclosure including a precinct wall and gatehouse and the fact the friary was converted into a defensible house is suggestive.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNU174348
Latitude55.6067695617676
Longitude-1.72457003593445
Eastings417450
Northings634830
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Brooke, C.J., 2000, Safe Sanctuaries (Edinburgh; John Donald) p. 79
  • Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p. 215
  • Bateson, Edward (ed), 1893, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 1 p. 138-46 online copy

Journals

  • Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser3) Vol. 13 p. 4