Monument record 438/2/0 - Warrington Friary

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ68NW20 (Index). SCH2487.

Warrington Friary was the house of Hermit Friars of St Austin, founded by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler. It was established by 1291. The boundaries of the Friary land are uncertain, but land grants suggest that the property was extensive. The Friary was suppressed in 1536 and granted to Thomas Holcroft in 1540. Holcroft sold it to John Cawdwell on the condition that the townspeople could still use the use Friary church (Jesus Church) and that he was allowed to remove the stone of any unroofed walls. This Church is mentioned again in around 1640, though how long it was used is uncertain. The last remaining structure was the arch of Friary gateway, which was demolished in the late 18th century.

<2> Beamont W, 1849, Warrington in 1465: As Described in a Contemporary Rent Roll of the Legh Family, in the Possession of Thomas Legh, Esquire, of Lyme Park (Book). SCH3689.

The approximate extent of the Friary precinct can be conjectured based on a survey of land in Warrington held by Thomas Legh Esq of Lyme Park. In this document, there is mention of the Friary gateway surviving into the late 18th century, although it does not indicate a location. Place name evidence - namely 'Friars Gate', suggests this gateway may have been immediately to the north of the church and may have survived because of its proximity to it. This document indicates the precinct extended as far south as Arpley Road running along the north bank of the Mersey river. To the north, the precinct boundary appears to extend immediately to the rear of properties fronting onto Sankey Street. To the east, the precinct appears to have been situated to the rear of properties fronting onto Bridge Street (or Newgate, as it was then known). The western boundary is less clearly mentioned.

<3> Owen, W., 1889, Warrington Friary and the recent discoveries there (Article in Journal). SCH7572.

The earliest recorded remains associated with the church were identified during excavations between 1886 and 1887 by W. Beamont. On this occasion, a number of walls and buttresses relating to the transept, nave, chancel and choir were encountered along with three pillar bases from the transept and a partial pillar base from the nave. The church appears to have been unusual with a wide nave and a smaller choir along the east-west axis with the transept extending north. A significant length of decorated tiling on the floor of the chancel was also exposed.

<4> British Archaeological Association, 1847-present, Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 17/323 1861 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1578.

<5> Beamont W, 1872, History of the Warrington Friary (Article in Journal). SCH7573.

<6> Beamont W & Rylands J., 1878, An Attempt to identify the Arms formerly existing in the windows of the parish church and Austin Friary at Warrington (Book). SCH7570.

<7> Beamont W, 1878, Warrington Church Notes, /131 (Book). SCH3681.

<8> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 11/126 Smith H E 1870 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<9> Worsley, J.E, 1887, The Warrington Friary (Article in Journal). SCH7569.

<10> Farrer W & Brownbill J, 1906-14, The Victoria County History of the County of Lancaster, 2/162-3 1908 (Book). SCH3636.

<11> Society of Antiquities London, 1921-2014, The Antiquaries Journal, 12/448-9 1932 (Journal/Periodical). SCH284.

<12> Owen, G., 1936, Warrington Friary: The discoveries of 1931 (Article in Journal). SCH7574.

Investigations in 1931 following the demolition of the candle factory on the corner of Barbauld Street and Friars Lane identified further traces of the extent of the nave including the western and northern walls as well as two intact and one partial burial. An opportunity was also taken to publish details of structural remains encountered during construction work in 1904 although no further details of the circumstances was discussed.

<13> Carter G A, 1947, Warrington Hundred (Book). SCH3688.

<14> Knowles, D & Hadcock, RN, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, /202+315 (Book). SCH2177.

<15> Archaeological Surveys Ltd, 1974, The Archaeology of Warrington's Past, /42-43 (Monograph). SCH3036.

<16> Green, J., 1976, The decorated mosaic floor tile from Warrington friary: a re-assessment (Article in Journal). SCH7575.

Re-analysis of the floor tiles from the Friary noted significant similarities between tiles from Warrington and those from known tile kilns at Norton Priory, in particular a motif of a lion's face. However, the fabric of the tile from Warrington is coarser than that at Norton.

<17> University of Liverpool Environmental Advisory Unit, 1984, Warrington Co-Op Excavation Report (Client Report). SCH7567.

In 1982 excavations were undertaken immediately south of the site of Friary Church during road widening along Bridge Foot. Features recorded included the remains of a stone building interpreted as a 17th century tannery demolished in the later 19th century. An earlier ditch potentially relating to the Friary was also identified and this contained 15th century finds including mosaic floor and roof tiles, possibly from the demolition of the Friary, also Medieval and Romano-British pottery.

<18> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, Vol 8: 66-67 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

Investigations in the area around Bridge Foot and Friars Green in 1982 identified a section of a medieval ditch (see CHER 438/2/5) on a north-south alignment containing fragments of 15th century floor tile that may have been associated with the friary gardens.

<19> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 10/85-89 Smart R 1984 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

In 1984 three small trenches were excavated revealing extensive disturbance of the Friary remains by 19th and 20th century construction to a depth of at least 1m. Also found was a pit dating to the 17th century, rubble and a robber trench from the Friary.

<20> Gifford and Partners, 1995, Report on an Archaeological Evaluationat Barbauld Street, Warrington, R2074 (Client Report). SCH4125.

Archaeological evaluation comprising desk-based assessment and trial-trenching in 1995 on land at Barbauld Street, Warrington. The proposed area of development lay within the former site of the Augustine Friary in Warrington founded in the late thirteenth century. Trial trenches revealed that substantial remains of the Friary, in the form of walls, drains and demolition debris, survive circa 1m below the existing ground surface. Two of the trenches revealed robber trenches excavated along the walls of the Friary, although removal of the walls was not total. Other walls of the church appear to have been buried beneath demolition rubble. Walls extending from the Friary Church to the south are thought to represent the cloister, this would make the cloister just 17m in width but this is a similar size to the cloister of the Benedictine Nunnery at Chester.

There were also extensive areas where 19th and 20th century features have removed all trace of the Friary particularly in the southern area of the development. All the excavated trenches with exception to one recorded deep post-medieval deposits of 1-2m in depth.

<21> Gifford and Partners, 1996, Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at Barbauld Street, Warrington, R2075 (Client Report). SCH4124.

Following on from an archaeological assessment and trial-trenching undertaken in 1995, further archaeological monitoring was undertaken at Barbauld Street, Warrington on the site of the Augustine Friary founded in the 13th century. The trenching done in 1995 had identified substantial remains of the Friary. As part of the proposed development some drainage excavation penetrated through the levels of Friary remains so this was subject to a watching brief which has facilitated a clearer picture of the Friary ground plan to be developed. The remains comprised a length of wall footings aligned north-south. These potentially relate to the main walkway from the Friars' accommodation to the Friary Church. This indicates that the cloister was relatively small measuring approximately 20m by 14m.

<22> Oxford Archaeology North, 1998, Land at Friars Gate/Barbauld Street, Warrington, Cheshire, R2267 (Client Report). SCH3980.

A number of inhumations and grave sites have been located in and around the church at the friary site in Warrington, the earliest discovery comes from the late 18th century with further discoveries of gravestones and inhumations in the area immediately southeast of the church (see CHER 438/2/2). In 1978, two phases of excavations by the North Cheshire Archaeology Group identified the remains of at least 55 additional burials including three well preserved wood coffins, one of which was subsequently deposited with Warrington Museum. The stratigraphic relationship of the burials around the transept suggests that several predate its construction while at least two burials within the nave cut demolition deposits, suggesting burials continued on the site long after the demolition of the church itself.

<23> Oxford Archaeology North, 2000, Excavations at Warrington Friary, 2000, R2393 (Client Report). SCH4369.

An excavation following on from an initial evaluation undertaken in 1998 (see source 16) encountered a number of burials both within and without the church between the period 1260 and 1799 AD, indicating a prolonged period of use of the cemetery. This excavation also provided a more detailed analysis of the construction of the church components suggesting the nave was first built in the mid 13th century with the transept added sometime in the mid 14th century. The church appears to have survived beyond the Dissolution of the friary until the mid 17th-18th century when the candle factory was built.

<24> Crosby A, 2002, A History of Warrington (Book). SCH4492.

<25> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, Volume 77, 2002 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1595.

The developer-funded excavation undertaken by Oxford Archaeology in 2000 at Warrington Friary found evidence for five phases of activity beginning in the Roman period. Remains of this date included three pits and two extensive deposits which produced 353 sherds of Romano-British pottery which was potentially being made in the immediate vicinity. The Augustinian Friars built their first church on site soon after 1261 and the sandstone foundations of the north wall and internal column plinths of the nave were revealed. The most distinctive feature of the church was the large, almost square north transept, this excavation showed this to be a later addition, probably built circa 1350. The church was retained for use by the townspeople when the friary was dissolved in 1539. The removal of the floor covering may have followed soon afterwards whilst the north transept is likely to have been taken down before the end of the sixteenth century; the nave was demolished by the mid to late seventeenth century.

The excavations in 2000 recorded 106 partial or complete articulated inumations. Thirty seven of these pre-dated the Dissolution, including two in partially surviving coffins which were dendrochronologically dated to the late thirteenth of early fourteenth centuries. Other burials could not be phased due to removal of stratigraphy during previous excavations, or due to lack of artefactual evidence. The site was used for burial until the eighteenth century.