Blackfriars Medieval Friary
United Kingdom
Blackfriars is a restored Grade I listed 13th-century friary in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, located in the city centre, close to the city's Chinatown.
Contents
9 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Blackfriars Medieval Friary
Welcome to Blackfriars, an exceptionally preserved medieval friary nestled within the modern urban landscape of Newcastle upon Tyne. As we stand at the threshold of this venerable precinct, we are preparing to step back across…
Listen in the app2The Cloister Garth and the Lost Church
We now stand in the Cloister Garth, the grassy central quadrangle that functioned as the spatial and spiritual anchor of the entire friary complex. In the medieval period, this open green space would have been framed on all four…
Listen in the app3The East Range and the Civic Guilds
Turning our attention to the eastern flank of the quadrangle, we encounter the East Range. In the orthodox layout of a medieval friary, this wing typically housed the Chapter House on the ground floor. …
Listen in the app4The Lavatorium and the Ritual of Cleanliness
As we move towards the southwest corner of the cloister, we arrive at a profoundly significant architectural feature: a magnificent, deeply recessed stone archway. While you might initially assume this impressive portal served as…
Listen in the app5The South Range and the Refectory
We now enter the territory of the South Range, an area structurally dedicated to the consumption of food, yet defined by a stark conceptual divide. Behind the facades before us lay two very different dining environments: the…
Listen in the app6The Medieval Kitchens and the Forme of Cury
Proceeding deeper into the complex, we arrive at the domain of fire, smoke, and sustenance: the kitchens. It is an astonishing historical fact that this specific spatial footprint has functioned continuously as a working kitchen…
Listen in the app7The Herb Garden and the Fish Ponds
Stepping out from the heat of the kitchens, we enter the remnants of the friary's botanical and agricultural perimeter. In the medieval era, this area was an extensive, highly cultivated garden that served a dual purpose: it was…
Listen in the app8The Upper Chambers and the Victorian Slums
Let us turn our gaze to the upper stories of the stone ranges. As we discussed earlier, these chambers were the salvation of the architectural fabric during the sixteenth century, serving as the proud, opulent headquarters for…
Listen in the app9Closing
As we conclude our circumnavigation of the Blackfriars precinct, we must pause to consider the sheer improbability of its survival. By the swinging decade of the nineteen sixties, the buildings were in an advanced state of…
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What is Blackfriars Medieval Friary?
Blackfriars Medieval Friary is a place in United Kingdom with 9 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 9 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 54.9717, -1.6196 |
| Last updated |
