Brittany Inn

Has been described as a Questionable Fortified Town House

There are no visible remains

NameBrittany Inn
Alternative NamesPembroke's Inn; Bergavenny House; Stationers' Hall
Historic CountryLondon and Middlesex
Modern AuthorityCity and County of the City of London
1974 AuthorityGreater London
Civil ParishCity Of London

at the north ende of Aue Mary lane, is one great house builded of stone and timber, of old time pertaining to Iohn Duke of Britaine, Earle of Richmond, as appeareth by the Records of Ed. the second: since that it is called Pembrooks Inne, nere vnto Ludgate, as belonging to the Earles of Pembrooke in the times of Ric. the 2. the 18. yeare: and of Henry the 6. in the xiiii. yeare. It is now called Burgaueny house, and belongeth to Henry late Lord of Burgaueny. (Stow)

Comitissa Penbrochiae occupat unum turellum, aedificatum cum cameris et ellario super solum communitatis ex parte Boreali. (Munimenta Gildhallae)

In 1331 John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond, granted his property in England, which included Britanny Inn, to Mary, widow of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke. In 1352 an inspections of encroachment near Ludgate by the City found that the countess had built a small tower (turellum) 'cum cameris et cellario' on the common soi; in 1358 the great gate of the hostel of the Countess was mentioned. (Schofield)

Gatehouse Comments

Nothing to suggest this tower and gate, at the north end of Ave Maria Lane, were particularly fortified although it seems likely to have had decorative military architectural features like crenellations. Stationers Hall was constructed from the building in 1611, subsequently destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and then rebuilt on much the same footprint. The PastScape record, referencing the RCHME Inventory writes 'The core of the walls of the basement may perhaps be part of the house of Lord Abergavenny.'

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 1 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 ReferenceTQ318811
Latitude51.5143890380859
Longitude-0.101340003311634
Eastings531826
Northings181197
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Renn, Derek., 2014, 'The other towers of London' in Hidden histories and records of antiquity; essays on Saxon and medieval London for John Clark, curator emeritus, Museum of London (London and Middlesex Archaeology Society Special Paper 17) p. 32-5
  • Saunder, A. and Schofield, J. (eds), 2001, Tudor London: A Map and a View (London Topographical Society 159) p. 5, 41 no. 43
  • Schofield, J., 1995, Medieval London Houses (Yale University Press) p. 158 No. 11
  • Salzman, L.F., 1952, Building in England p. 425-6
  • RCHME, 1929, Inventory of Historic Monuments in London Vol. 4: London (The City) (HMSO) p. 116-7

Antiquarian

  • Kingsford, C.L. (ed), 1908, A Survey of London, by John Stow: Reprinted from the text of 1603 Vol. 1 p. 339 online copy

Journals

  • Davis, Philip, 2010-11, 'Crenellated town houses in Medieval England' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 24 p. 270-91

Primary Sources

  • Riley, H.T. (ed), 1860, Munimenta Gildhallae Vol. 2 p. 455 online copy
  • Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1905, Calendars the letters of the City of London G-1352-1374 p. 132 online copy