York Historic Environment Record

Henry III gave timber for building in 1253, and a grant of land was made in 1258 for the enlargement of the site. In 1295 the friars were granted a tenement in Stonebow Lane (lost in the present Stonebow) as a permanent site; this property extended from Stonebow Lane on the north to the river on the south, and from Fossgate on the east to a street called 'Mersk' on the west. The friary church was under construction in 1300, the cemetery was consecrated in 1304, and a number of extensions to the site was made during the 14th century. In 1314 houses and land in 'Mersk Lane' were acquired and the king granted permission for a quay to be built within the friary site on his Fishpond of the Foss and for a boat to be kept there so that building materials might be brought in. Further grants of property for the enlargement of the site were made in 1315, 1316, 1331, and 1350. Finally, in 1392, land lying on the east and west sides of the friary church was given to the house. The effect of these additions to the site was to extend the precinct to the line of Hungate on the east.

The friary gateway was in Fossgate near its junction with Pavement, and within the parish of St. Crux. Compensation was paid to the rector in 1320 for the loss sustained by the friars' occupation of land in the parish, and in order to satisfy him in 1350 the friars removed an image of the Virgin from the chapel over the gateway and the chapel was no longer used. The friary church stood in the northern part of the precinct, within St. Saviour's parish; in 1301 it was agreed that the friary should pay 30s. a year for tithes and other dues in return for the right to have its recently built church and its graveyard in the parish. After the acquisition of adjoining land in 1392, the church was rebuilt. Nothing is known of other friary buildings.

After its surrender in 1538, the friary was held by John Thorpe until a 21-year lease of the site was made to Ralph Beckwith in 1540. The site remained in the hands of this family at least until the death of Leonard Beckwith in 1614. Nothing is known of the subsequent history of the site which in 1958 was completely built over.

Few traces of the friary remain. In 1850 sections of the precinct wall existed opposite St. Saviour's Church in Hungate and in Black Horse Passage (off Stonebow Lane). Fragments of the wall were said to be visible behind houses in Fossgate and in Stonebow Lane in 1952, but in 1958 the only remaining section was that in Black Horse Passage as is the case in 2010.

NMR Information

The Carmelite friary moved here, in Stonebow Lane, North of Foss Bridge, from the Horsefair (SE65SW307) in 1295. The frairs were building their new church in 1300. Dissolved in 1538.

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BF060251 CARMELITE FRIARY, YORK File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued.

NMR, 2019, NMR data (Digital archive). SYO2214.