Guildford Black Friary

A community of Dominicans was founded by Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III, around 1275. The exact date of the foundation of the Black Friary is unknown, but it could not have taken place before 1236, the year of Eleanor's marriage to Henry. There is no mention of the friars being among those who prayed for the soul of her grandson, Prince Henry, who died in 1274 and it is possible that Eleanor founded the friary in his memory. Historical documents note that Henry's heart was "lodged at the Guildford Priory" and Eleanor is acknowledged as the "first fundryse". The earliest surviving record of the community is from 1275, when Edward I granted an enlargement of the friary grounds. The…

Guildford Black Friary was built to the north of Guildford town centre on gravel and alluvial soils deposited by the River Wey. The site sloped downwards from east to west and levelling in the 17th and 19th centuries buried the remains of the friary buildings to an average depth of around . Excavations in 1974 and 1978 showed that the friary was constructed around a central, square cloister, with the nave of the church forming the south range. The main entrance is thought to have been on the east side, from the route now known as Woodbridge Road. There are thought to have been two paths leading south from the nave, one most likely used by worshippers to access the nave from the town and the…