Black Friars, Leicester
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Blackfriars Leicester, also known as St Clement's Church, Leicester and St Clement's Priory, Leicester, is a former
priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
of the
Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius ...
(also called Dominican Friars or Black Friars) in the city of
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
in
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. It is also the name of a former civic parish, and a neighbourhood in the city built on and around the site of the old priory.


Roman History

The St Clement's church, and later the Dominican priory, would come to be established inside the far north west corner of the (now vanished) city walls of
Ratae Corieltauvorum Ratae Corieltauvorum or simply Ratae was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Leicester, located in the English county of Leicestershire. Name ''Ratae'' is a latinate form of the Brittonic word for "ramparts" (cf ...
- the Roman town at the core of modern Leicester. The site is a few hundred meters north of the surviving Roman
Jewry Wall The Jewry Wall is a substantial ruined wall of 2nd-century Roman masonry, with two large archways, in Leicester, England. It stands alongside St Nicholas' Circle and St Nicholas' Church. It formed the west wall of a public building in (Ro ...
, the old bathhouse. From the discovery of the three Blackfriars Pavements, some of the finest Roman mosaics to survive in Britain (see gallery below), it is clear there was a very wealthy Roman townhouse constructed on what would become the priory site, the Blackfriars Villa.


St Clement's Church

The Parish Church of St. Clement's (along with
St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
, St Peter's, St Mary de Castro, St Michael's, St Margaret's, and St Martin's) was one of the seven ancient parish churches of the Medieval Borough of Leicester (see also: Timeline of Medieval Leicester). In the mid 13th century its
advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a ...
was passed to the Order of Preaches (Blackfriars), who constructed convent buildings adjacent to it, and it became a
priory church A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or the Ch ...
. Like St Peter's, and St Michael's, there are no longer any visible remains of it above ground. In 2018 the structure of what is likely to have been the church of St Clement's was discovered on what is now All Saints Road. Many of the burials on the site can be dated between 1000 and 1100 - implying a burial site and possibly a church from at least the 11th century.


Parish Church before Dominican Incardination

Dedicated to
St Clement of Rome Clement of Rome (; ; died ), also known as Pope Clement I, was the Bishop of Rome in the late first century AD. He is considered to be the first of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church. Little is known about Clement's life. Tertullian claimed th ...
(an early Pope and Martyr) and with unknown 11th century origins it stood in the northwest part of the old Roman city, probably on what is now All Saints Road. In 1107 its advowson was granted to the canons of St Mary de Castro by
Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, Count of Meulan ( – 5 June 1118), also known as Robert of Meulan, was a powerful Norman nobleman, one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of Englan ...
, along with those of all the other parish churches in the town (apart from St Margaret's). Upon the foundation of
Leicester Abbey The Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis, more commonly known as Leicester Abbey, was an Augustinian religious house in the city of Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. The abbey was founded in the 12th century by the Robert de Beaumont, 2nd E ...
in 1143 by
Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104 – 5 April 1168) was Justiciar of England 1155–1168. The surname "de Beaumont" was given to him by genealogists. The only known contemporary surname applied to him is "Robert son of Count Robe ...
, it took possession of the canonical college at St Mary's along with its possessions including St Clement's. Before their expulsion in 1250, the southern part of the parish as well as parts of the neighbouring parish of St Nicholas, was home to the town's Jewish community - an area known as Leicester's Jewry, hence the name of the
Jewry Wall The Jewry Wall is a substantial ruined wall of 2nd-century Roman masonry, with two large archways, in Leicester, England. It stands alongside St Nicholas' Circle and St Nicholas' Church. It formed the west wall of a public building in (Ro ...
. A large burial ground dating to the 11th century was discovered parallel to what are likely the archeological remains of the church in 2018. There were 456 unearthed burials with 254 in mass graves. The mass graves date to the 11th century at least three quarters of a century to a century and a half before the 1173 siege and nearly two centuries before the
Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
. Clearly buried with Christian honour and in a position parallel to the church, it has been suggested that the 254 are victims of a famine in 1087 reported by the
Anglo Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...
. Unusually 96 pairs of skeletons were found in double graves suggesting the site was used for the burial of married couples. In 1173 Robert Blanchemains, 3rd Earl of Leicester became a principal rebel in the
Revolt of 1173–1174 The Revolt of 1173–1174 (sometimes referred to as the Great Revolt) was a rebellion against King Henry II of England by three of his sons, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their rebel supporters. The revolt ended in failure after eighteen ...
leading to the destruction of many homes in the parish during the Siege of Leicester that year. St Clement's was probably the worst affected parish in the city and the church likely suffered damage. The last records we have of the parish as under the oversight of Leicester abbey are from the 1220s. Perhaps due to the large undeveloped areas of the parish and those given over to burials, perhaps because of the number of Jews resident in the south of the parish (Leicesters Old Jewry), and perhaps due to the Siege of 1173 by 1220 the parish could scarcely afford a priest. In 1221-2 we have a record of the vicarage with a stipend of 20 Shillings per annum and a
corrody A corrody () was a lifetime allowance of food and clothing, and often shelter and care, granted by an abbey, monastery, or other religious house. While rarely granted in the modern era, corrodies were common in the Middle Ages. They were routinely ...
granted by the Abbey. This implies the parish was becoming a financial burden on the abbey rather than the asset parish advowsons were intended to be.


St Clement's after the Dominican Incardination

The relationship the Dominican priory had with the parish and church of St Clement is contested (see
Discussion Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...
). Leicester Abbey only had the right to grant the advowson; i.e. the rights to the
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
and any incomes intend to support the clergy of the church while the parishioners retained control of the
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
with any parish dissolution requiring a complex legal process of which there is no record. It is possible that the nave remained a
Parish Church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
with its own priest (probably a friar of the priory). It is also possible the records of the parish dissolution are simply missing and that the building was handed over in its entirety to be a
Priory Church A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or the Ch ...
(see Discussion on Location 2.1, & 2.2). In either case, the church would have become noted for its choral office, with a much larger choir than the parish church's, and the townsfolk able to hear and watch the conventual mass and other services through the
rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...
. Another peculiarity would have been its liturgy. Leicester's other churches all used the Diocese of Lincoln's variation on the Sarum Ritual whereas at St Clement's the masses would have been celebrated according to the Dominican Ritual. The church would have also observed a slightly different calendar of saints. Whatever happened to the geographical parish in the 13th century it is well documented that either the site of the priory or its site including the tiny ancient parish did not fall under any parochial jurisdiction of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
until the late 19th century, the 1538 parish boundaries never being redrawn. By the time of the reformation there were numerous burials and fine funerary ornaments in St Clement's, aside from the burials discovered in 2018. In 1331 one Philip Danet sought to establish a
chantry A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a set of Christian liturgical celebrations for the dead (made up of the Requiem Mass and the Office of the Dead), or # a chantry chapel, a b ...
for his soul in the church, to be served by a chantry priest of the college of St Leonard's and there were likely a number of chantry chapels. In 1536 before the priory was dissolved and the church demolished John Leland, the antiquary, recorded this after visiting: John Leland's few lines constitute the only surviving witness testimony of the building. The Church was demolished not many years after the dissolution and many years prior to the rest of the conventual buildings.


St Clement's Priory (Blackfriars)


Background

The 13th century was a period of rapid and significant reform for both
religious life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and sec ...
and the wider church in Europe, marked by the establishment of many new communities. Notable among these were the new travelling
mendicant A mendicant (from , "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, Mendicant orders, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many i ...
monks known as
friars A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendic ...
. In Leicester this wider reform was felt by the arrival of the
mendicant orders Mendicant orders are primarily certain Catholic Church, Catholic religious orders that have vowed for their male members a lifestyle of vow of poverty, poverty, traveling, and living in urban areas for purposes of preacher, preaching, Evangelis ...
between the 1220s and the 1250s and the establishment of three new religious houses in the city: the
Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...
(Greyfriars) at the Friary of St. Mary Magdalene, before 1230; the
Order of Hermits of St. Augustine The Order of Saint Augustine (), abbreviated OSA, is a mendicant religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were following the Rule of Saint Augustine ...
(Friars Hermits or Austin Friars) at St. Katherine's Priory, in the year 1254; and at some point in the mid 13th century (see below and
Discussion Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...
) the
Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius ...
(Blackfriars) at the parish church of St. Clement. These
orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...
sought to bring the monastic example and a more professional spiritual ministry to the town, partly by observing the
Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (), Divine Office (), or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the Latin Church. The Liturgy of the Hours forms the official ...
and monastic community life in accessible reach of townsfolk, and also by providing professional religious ministry and education, as well as medical and pastoral care to the growing urban population. The Blackfriars (also called Friars Preachers) were and continue to be focussed on prayer and liturgy, academic scholarship (primarily but far from exclusively
philosophical Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
,
theological Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...
, and
biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
), teaching and education, scholarly and rhetorical excellence in public preaching, and pastoral and charity work in urban areas. Of all the new orders they were most focused on promoting the normative teachings of the Catholic Church and came to have a significant role in
inquisition The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...
and combating
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...
throughout catholic Europe. Two Dominican mottos,
Contemplata aliis tradere ''Contemplata aliis tradere'' is a Latin phrase which translates into English as "to hand down to others the fruits of contemplation." Derived from the ''Summa Theologiae'' of Thomas Aquinas, Saint Thomas Aquinas, OP, the phrase is often used to ex ...
, or, “To contemplate and to pass the fruits of contemplation to others”, together with the one shown on the Dominican seal (see image) succinctly express their mission. The Dominican connection with the Earls of Leicester predates the foundation in Leicester and even the establishment of the Dominican Order itself.
St Dominic Saint Dominic, (; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest and the founder of the Dominican Order. He is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists, and he and his orde ...
and his early companions' mission to preach against the
Cathar Catharism ( ; from the , "the pure ones") was a Christian quasi- dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. Denounced as a he ...
heresy bought him into contact with Simon, 5th Earl as early as 1209 who was involved in a military campaign against the Cathars (part of a series of campaigns known as the
Albigensian Crusades The Albigensian Crusade (), also known as the Cathar Crusade (1209–1229), was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, what is now southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted pri ...
) parallel to Dominic's preaching campaign. The 5th Earl believed very strongly in the power of Dominic's prayers in his military battles and had his daughter baptised by the saint. It is likely the Earl's young son, the famous
Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester ( – 4 August 1265), also known as Simon V de Montfort, was an English nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the baronial opposition to the rule of ...
also met Dominic while accompanying his father on these campaigns.


Foundation, Site, & Governance

It is very difficult to date precisely both the arrival of the first friars to Leicester and the subsequent establishment of their priory at St Clement's (see
discussion Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...
). The order came to England in 1221 (not the date Nichols notes of 1217). Sources suggest they arrived in Leicester either before 1233 or in 1247. The establishment of the house has been dated to before 1252, but this has been disputed and the founding charter does not survive. However it is almost beyond doubt that
Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester ( – 4 August 1265), also known as Simon V de Montfort, was an English nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the baronial opposition to the rule of ...
established the house given its founding grant involved lands from the castle, lands that only Simon could give. Their incardination at Saint Clement's (the advowson being granted by Leicester Abbey) likewise implies the involvement of the Earl who by his position was a principal patron of the Abbey. A site in the largely abandoned St Clement's parish was provided including the parish church (as discussed above), its church yard to the north and a site to the south for the cloister and other convent buildings. After a number of adjacent properties were added to it over the years it came to 16 acres. This now sits between Soar Lane to the north (running along the old north wall of the Roman city), Great Central Street (previously called Friars Preachers Lane) to the east, Holy Bones to the south, and the
river Soar The River Soar () is a major tributary of the River Trent in the East Midlands as well as the principal river of Leicestershire, England. The source of the river is midway between Hinckley and Lutterworth. The river then flows north throug ...
to the west and north. Jarvis Street runs through grounds of the priory and probably over part of the old cloister where it meets Alexander Street. The southern part of All Saints Road runs through the priory gardens. The odd numbered houses (35–53) on the northern part of All Saints Road and parts of Kilby Lane stand on the site of the churchyard and the mass graves while Grand Union Embankment is the site of the old Roman defences. The church sits partly under what is now the northern stretch of All Saints Road. The presence of the priory is remembered in the name of Blackfriars Street and Friars Causeway (which possibly marked the southern border of the site before its western section was demolished for the construction of the Great Central Railway). Like all Dominican communities its members followed the
Rule of St Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, develop ...
, and were governed by the
Prior The term prior may refer to: * Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) * Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case * Prior probability, in Bayesian statistics * Prio ...
elected by the community, the community chapter, and the wider Province. Leicester was under the visitation of Oxford Blackfriars Priory.


History

Queen Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...
, wife of King Henry III, left £5 in her will to the priory. In 1301 the priory received another royal gift: seven oak trees (presumably the wood from which) from Rockingham Forest. Further monetary gifts from the royal family reveal that in 1328/29 there were 30 friars, and in 1334/35 there were 32. Leicester hosted the provincial chapters of the English Dominican Province in 1301, 1317 and 1334. In 1489
King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry ...
donated oaks to the priory for the reconstruction of the friar's dormitory.


Dissolution

The priory was dissolved as part of
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...
's dissolution of the monasteries and was surrendered in November 1538. At the time the house was home to the prior and nine friars. The former priory was granted to
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset (17 January 151723 February 1554), was an English courtier and nobleman of the Tudor period. He was the father of Lady Jane Grey, known as "the Nine Days Queen". Origins He was born on 17 ...
, in 1546. There are no visible remains of the priory.


Nineteenth Century Reestablishment

The Friars Preachers returned to Leicester in 1819 after over 280 years in exile. In 1882 they established a new foundation, The Priory of the Holy Cross, on
New Walk ''New Walk'' was a high quality poetry and arts print magazine published at Leicester University, Leicester, England, but with a national and international focus. The magazine was established in 2010 and closed in 2017. It was edited by Rory Wa ...
to the south of the old city walls. They are still active in the city as of 2024 with no plan to leave.


Priors of St Clement's Priory, Leicester

List of known priors of Leicester Blackfriars: * John Garland O.P. occurs 1394 * William Ceyton O.P. occurs 1505 (variously recorded as Clayton, Layton, or Ceyton) * Ralph Burrell O.P. occurs 1538


Civil parish

Leicester Blackfriars was a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
, in 1891 the parish had a population of 2512. The parish was formed in 1858, on 26 March 1896 the parish was abolished and merged with Leicester.


Gallery


Roman Remains at Blackfriars


Blackfriars Site Today


Post Reformation Dominican Presence in Leicester


Sources

* Charles J. Billson, ‘Medieval Leicester’ (1920): Chapter One, part of Section 1 and all of section 4, ‘On the North Quarter’ & ‘On the West Quarter’ ( see here). * Charles J. Billson, ‘Medieval Leicester’ (1920): Chapter 6, Section 1, ‘On the Church of St. Clements’ ( see here) * John Nichols. ‘History & Antiquities of Leicestershire’ (1815), Volume I.II, ‘On the Dominicans or Blackfriars’. Page 295-6 ( see here). * The Rev. C.F.R. Palmer. O.P. ‘Paper on the Blackfriars of Leicester presented to The Leicester Architectural & Archeological Society, May 28th, 1883’ ( see here). * Victoria County History, ‘A History of the County of Leicestershire’ (1954), Volume II, ‘On Friaries’, ‘Friaries in Leicester’ ( see here). * Victoria County History, ‘A History of the County of Leicestershire’ (1958), Volume IV, ‘On the Ancient Borough’, ‘Lost Churches’ ( see here).


References


Further reading


Recent Archaeological Accounts


2018 University of Leicester Archeological Report2019 University of Leicester Archeological Report2020 Review of the final results of the Blackfriars dig published by UK Archeology News


Documentary Accounts


John Nichols Account of St Clement's Church & Dominicans in Pre-Reformation Leicester, page 295-296, History & Antiquities of LeicestershireCharles Billson's account of St Clement's & Dominicans in Pre-Reformation LeicesterCharles Billson's account of The Streets of Medieval LeicesterVictoria County History account of St Clement's ChurchVictoria County History account of Dominicans in Pre-Reformation LeicesterLeicester City Council Account of the 1174 Siege of Leicester


Contemporary Links


University of Leicester Archeology ServiceJewry Wall Museum (Home of the Blackfriars Pavements)Holy Cross Priory


See also

* Leicester Austin Friary *
Greyfriars, Leicester Greyfriars, Leicester, was a friary of the Order of Friars Minor, commonly known as the Franciscans, established on the west side of Leicester by 1250, and Dissolution of the monasteries, dissolved in 1538. Following dissolution the friary wa ...
*
Leicester Abbey The Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis, more commonly known as Leicester Abbey, was an Augustinian religious house in the city of Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. The abbey was founded in the 12th century by the Robert de Beaumont, 2nd E ...
*
St Nicholas Church, Leicester St Nicholas Church is an ancient Anglo-Saxon Church of England parish church in Leicester, England. One of the five surviving medieval churches of Leicester Old Town, it was constructed over 1150 years ago and is Leicester's oldest and longest ...
*
All Saints Church, Leicester All Saints' Church is a redundant Anglican church in High Cross Street, Leicester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservatio ...
*
List of Monastic Houses in Leicestershire The following is a list of the monastic houses in Leicestershire, England. See also * List of monastic houses in England Notes References {{DEFAULTSORT:Monastic houses in Leicestershire Medieval sites in England Leicester ...
{{Monasteries in Leicestershire , state=expanded Monasteries in Leicestershire
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation