NHER 5477 (Monument record) - Greyfriars' Tower and site of Franciscan Friary

Site of Franciscan Friary. Tower (Context 1) alone Scheduled, and Listed Grade I.
Polygonal tower, probably late 15th century in date, rises from 13th century crossing. Very fine carved vaulting.
The friary was founded in about 1230 to 1264 and dissolved 1538 when the tower was conveyed to the corporation as a seamark. Cross found at Blackfriars (NHER 1176) in 1850s placed here.
See (S1) and (S2) and NHER 1176 for details.
E. Rose (NAU).

Context 2 at TF 6198 1975.
Buttress, stone dressed, against rubble wall behind former Theatre Royal, bordering Greyfriars site.
Henry Bell's print of Greyfriars shows wall with similar buttresses along St James's Street. Part of former precinct wall? Slides at KLM.
E.M. James (KLM), 2 October 1986.

This is marked as 'WALL' (antiquity) on (S3), and may be the west wall of the south cloister range.
See plan in file.

(S4) states that much of the site was cleared in 1806 to widen St James' Street.
E. Rose (NLA) 14 January 1997.

Armstrong's Diary for 8 September 1877 refers to a visit to the Vicarage at Lynn which he says stood on the site of the Greyfriars, retaining a heavy arched front door and a huge stone hall with a gallery. As the Greyfriars tower was well known presumably Armstrong had the right site. Was this the building on (S3) at the corner of Tower Place and Greyfriars Street?
E. Rose (NLA), 24 September 1997.

This was in fact Tower House west of Tower Place. This house was the lecturer's (minister's) house in the 18th century. Later a shop assistants' hostel, now demolished.
The priory gatehouse stood adjacent until 1806.
See (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 13 November 2001.

Copy of schedule and press cuttings in file.

The Tower or Greyfriars Gardens are graded three-star (national importance) by Norfolk Historic Gardens Survey. References in 1690 to Tower Gardens and Tower Pasture.
1816 wall on south side of the tower was taken down and a theatre (NHER 64027) built.
1845-8 area of east part became public park with railings.
School built in south-west corner 1849 (NHER 64029).
1898 area adjacent to tower still private gardens.
Not until 1911 did the present plan of Tower Gardens (NHER 64023) appear as a Coronation memorial.
Central bandstand replaced in 1921 by war memorial by Oswald Milne (NHER 64026).
Theatre burnt 1936; glasshouses built 1962.
Original rockwork, terraces and sloping beds remain together with unusual iron gates. Many carved stone fragments line flower beds, but probably not all from this site.
See Town Gardens Survey (S6) for details.
E. Rose (NLA) 27 February 1998.

1998. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of trenches dug in advance of stabilisation works around base of tower. Nearly all soils observed were redeposited or disturbed. Medieval and post medieval floors identified. Any archaeological deposits associated with construction of the tower had been truncated by later buttressing. Finds recovered included medieval and post-medieval sherds and medieval roof and floor tiles, all redeposited when surrounding gardens laid out.
See report (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S21).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.202 and possibly also NWCHM : 2017.440).
E. Rose (NLA), 13 November 1998. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

1999. Building Survey.
Detailed measured survey undertaken of the crossing/tower.
See preliminary report which identifies a late 14th century phase in addition to the 13th and 15th century work.
See interim report (S22) for further details. This survey is also noted in (S23).
D. Gurney (NLA), 1 March 2000.

July 2002. Geophysical survey.
Ground penetrating radar and resistivity surveys.
See report (S8) for further details. This survey is also noted in (S19).
J. Allen (NLA), 27 January 2003.

May-June 2003. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of area around tower, prior to proposed landscaping works (Trenches 1-12; Contexts 500-702).
This work helped determine the layout of the friary. Elements investigated included the north and east cloister alleys, the chapter house, a storeroom, and the nave, north aisle and presbytery of the church. The structural remains identified during the evaluation were of a single phase dating to the mid 13th century. Finds included pottery, ceramic building material, architectural fragments (worked limestone) and an assortment of metal objects, all dating from the medieval and post medieval periods. In addition, a significant quantity of decorated and undecorated medieval window glass was recovered.
See report (S9) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S10).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 23 January 2007.

September 2003.
The tower has become a finalist in the BBC's 'Restoration' programme.
See (S11).
H. White, (NLA), 8 April 2010

August-September 2004. Trial Trenching.
Second phase of evaluation prior to landscaping works around tower (Trenches 13-22; Contexts 703-820).
This second phase of evaluation identified further walls and floors of the friary and established that the main range of conventual buildings lay to the south of the church.
See report (S13) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S17).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 23 January 2007.

In July 1849 works in progress to erect a National School (NHER 64029) revealed foundations of a chapel or hall with much painted glass. This is in the southwest corner of the precinct.
See (S14).
E. Rose (NLA), 23 April 2003.

July-August 2005. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of initial phase of landscaping works at the tower (Contexts 1001-1049).
This work was focused on the areas to the south of the tower and on the site of the former choir/presbytery to the east. Remains partially exposed included the east range wall.
No separate report issued, see assessment report (S25) for further details. This work is also noted in (S16).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 October 2016.

September 2005. Trial Trenching.
Excavation of six additional trenches (Trenches 23-28; Contexts 1100-1171), mainly to establish relationships between areas previously examined.
Structures investigated included the north and south choir stalls, the east cloister wall, the Chapter House and an adjacent building containing an undercroft, and a range building south of the Chapter House. Two earlier trenches that had located the north-eastern and south-eastern corners of the presbytery were also extended.
No separate report issued, see assessment report (S25) for further details. This work is also noted in (S16).
P. Watkins (HES), 19 October 2016.

May 2006. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of further landscaping works around the tower (Contexts 1172-1183).
The groundworks exposed an infilled doorway and an attached column in a wall that had previously been partially revealed and sections of the north cloister wall and south nave wall. No damage to walls or floor deposits recorded.
No separate report issued, see assessment report (S25) for further details. This work is also noted in (S16).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 October 2016.

The programme of archaeological work undertaken between 2003 and 2006 revealed considerable evidence for the layout of the Franciscan friary. There was little evidence for earlier activity on the site, with several dumped layers the only deposits observed that were likely to have predated the construction of the friary. There was also no artefactual evidence for activity on the site prior to the establishment of the friary in the 13th century. Natural deposits were not encountered at any point. The bulk of the structural remains, features and deposits encountered related to the medieval friary itself. Although the interventions were relatively minimal is was nevertheless possible to determine the outline of a number of structures, including the nave, north aisle, choir, Chapter House and buildings that formed the east range of the cloister. There was evidence for several stages of construction, which probably correspond with the phases of construction previously noted in the standing remains of the tower. There was evidence for extensive rebuilding of the cloister ranges and the choir had also been refurbished, with sounding chambers inserted beneath the stalls (most likely during the 15th or early 16th century). The walls were principally constructed of carstone, flint, limestone and brick, with a few examples of re-used ballast. One disturbed burial was encountered and human remains also encountered elsewhere, mostly in the area of the nave. No burials were encountered in the cloister area. Medieval finds recovered included large numbers of roof and floor tiles, several potentially medieval bricks, pottery sherds, worked stone fragments, a limestone stoup or font, a limestone mortar and window glass fragments. Surprisingly a bell and a strap fitting were the only potentially medieval metal objects recovered.
Although the earliest post-medieval deposits encountered were associated with the demolition of the nave and possibly the presbytery it appears that other elements such as the Chapter House survived into the 17th century. Evidence for subsequent post-medieval activity on the site was limited and principally related to a series of now-demolished 18th-century buildings that stood along the St James' Street frontage.
See assessment report (S25) for further details. Final publication awaited.
A combined archive comprising material from the 2003-2006 phases of work has now been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.394).
P. Watkins (HES), 19 October 2016. Amended 20 July 2019.

July 2006.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning the removal of three freestanding stone steps within the tower, the relocation of the coffin lid and a new balustrade.
See (S15).
H. White (NLA), 1 April 2009.

January 2007. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of mains gas supply at King's Lynn Library.
No archaeological finds or features were present.
See report (S24) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S26).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.71).
Previously recorded under NHER 22987.
J. Allen (NLA), 5 June 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 23 March 2015 and 20 June 2019.

Before October 2008.
Disarticulated human remains found beneath County Court Road during sewer repairs may relate to the cemetery associated with the friary. See NHER 53193 for further information.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 8 May 2019.

Before March 2014.
Removal of carved stone cross from beneath tower.
Following conservation work, the Blackfriars' Cross (formerly part of this record and Listed Grade II*) went on display beside the entrance to King's Lynn Museum.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 10 June 2018.