NHER 374 (Monument record) - Austin Friary Precinct, King Street, Norwich

Established around 1290.
First charter 1293. It acquired the church of St Michael in Conesford in 1360. The buildings were then rebuilt (completed 1368). A new library was built in 1457. It was suppressed in 1538 and the buildings demolished in 1547. In 1631 it was suggested to build a pest-house here but there is no evidence that this was actually built. In 1662 the land was laid out as a pleasure garden, with a 'Summerhouse' in the northwest corner of the precinct. The work was carried out by Lord Henry Howard and became known as the 'Lords Garden'.
The precinct extended from King Street, west; the river, east; St Vedast's Lane, north; and St Anne's Lane, south. William of Worcestre gave the dimensions of the church as following: Total length = 140 paces, breadth = 38 paces, nave alone = 60 paces.
A plan of the friary was given in Taylor (1821). This may be correct in general plan but the excavations of 1968/9 (NHER 84) showed buildings on a slightly different alignment and with the cloisters further to the south.
Church dedicated to St Mary the Virgin and also to St Augustine. 450ft (137m) long, 90ft (27m) wide with cloisters on north and south sides. Church and conventual buildings demolished 1547.
Within the precinct of the Austin Friary: hospital founded 1492, buildings gone by 1905.
M. Leah, 25 February 1991.

See file for further details along with documentary sources (S1), (S2) and (S3).

April 1998. Trial Trenching. Contexts 2-74.
Late Saxon to Norman riverside deposits including a reused Saxon boat.
Medieval linear features, road and wall.
Medieval to post medieval garden surfaces.
Residual finds included a Mesolithic/Neolithic flint blade and a small number of other, less diagnostic worked flints.
See report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S14).
E. Rose (NLA), 14 July 1998.

1998. Desk-based Assessment.
An archaeological impact assessment emphasizes the historical significance of King Street, the north-south spine of the Late Saxon town and the character of the site, which was occupied from an early date although just outside the line of the defensive circuit. The waterfront area of King Street was of growing importance to institutional 'developers' from the 13th century, with ecclesiastical and commercial interests dominating in the 15th century (resulting in 'Dragon Hall'). After the Dissolution the major ecclesiastical precinct, the Austin Friars, became private gardens to the Duke of Norfolk's townhouse, Howard House. Development here will have a major impact on the remains of the defensive circuit and may provide an opportunity to examine further the Late Saxon remains and the medieval friary and waterfront complexes.
See report (S5) for further details. The results of this assessment are also summarised in (S14).
D. Holburn (HES), 5 December 2011.

1999. Excavation.
Excavation on the site of a former Augustinian Priory and a 17th Century town house recovered elements of the priory plan and burials. An early road surface and the fabric of a former ?priory gatehouse were recorded.
Report awaited. The results of this work are briefly summarised in (S15).
D. Holburn (HES), 21 November 2011.

A. Shelley (NAU) in lecture to RAI November 1999 states: Taylor in fact shows a double cloister plan; nobody knows why or what was his evidence. In the late 14th century the walls were refaced in brick. The precinct wall remains by Baltic House. A hollow way crossed the site east to west. The gatehouse may remain beneath Howard House to north.
See (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 10 November 1999.

March-April 2003. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of test pits within proposed re-development area. Contexts 800-836.
A wall and dark soil appear to have been associated with the post-medieval gardens of Howard House.
See report (S6) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA), 19 August 2003. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 May 2015.

April-May 2003. Watching Brief. Contexts 837-842.
Three pile proving test pits were excavated by contractors in order to determine the condition of existing piles and pile-caps within a former brewery building. An archaeological watching brief was maintained during these operations.
See report (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S16).
M. Horlock (NLA), 7 August 2003.

See also press cuttings (S8), (S10) and (S11).
T. Sunley (NLA) 2 November 2007.

October-November 2008. Trial Trenching.
Contexts 900-?.
Details are awaited.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 20 February 2009.

2015. Dendrochronological Survey.
Dendrochronology assessment of two excavated timbers from this site (SAL52 112 and SAL51 114 - presumed to have been recovered during the 1999 excavations).
These oak samples had relatively few rings and neither series could be matched to reference data from Norfolk or elsewhere.
See report (S17) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 11 August 2025.

Norfolk Museum Service Wood Storage Rationalisation Project Two oak samples from this site