Abbeys & priories · South West England
Blackfriars
In or near Gloucester.
Blackfriars — former friary in Gloucester, England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Gloucester · 0.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Blackfriars in Gloucester, the nearest railway station is Gloucester, located 0.7 km away. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is GL1 2HN.
About
Blackfriars is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1201. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "former friary in Gloucester, England". Coordinates: 51.8641°, -2.2489°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2020
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Heritage listing
Blackfriars, Gloucester, England, founded about 1239, is one of the most complete surviving Dominican black friaries in England. Now owned by English Heritage and restored in 1960, it is currently leased to Gloucester City Council and used for weddings, concerts, exhibitions, guided tours, filming, educational events and private hires. The former church, since converted into a house, is a Grade I listed building.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From English Heritage
One of the most complete surviving Dominican friaries in England, later converted into a Tudor house and cloth factory. Notable features include the church and fine scissor-braced dormitory roof.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cotswolds
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Blackfriars, Gloucester, England, founded about 1239, is one of the most complete surviving Dominican black friaries in England. Now owned by English Heritage and restored in 1960, it is currently leased to Gloucester City Council and used for weddings, concerts, exhibitions, guided tours, filming, educational events and private hires. The former church, since converted into a house, is a Grade I listed building.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The monastery, known as Blackfriars from the black cloaks the friars wore, was founded on a site west of Southgate Street, with the city wall adjacent to the south. It comprised a church and a quadrangle formed by such buildings as the scriptorium (library), the dormitory with its renowned scissor-braced roof and the cloisters. It was established around 1239 under the patronage of Henry III and at its height was home to 30-40 friars. The friary went into private hands after the dissolution of the monasteries, having been purchased for £240 in 1539 by Thomas Bell (died 1566), who converted the church to his residence and transformed the buildings of the cloister, including the scriptorium,…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.8641, -2.2489
- County
- Gloucestershire
- District
- Gloucester
- Parish
- Gloucester, unparished area
- Postcode
- GL1 2HN
- Parliamentary constituency
- Gloucester
- Established
- 1201
- Nearest railway station
- Gloucester — 0.7 km
- Opening
- Sundays until the end of May 2026; closed 24–26 Dec
- Official site
- www.gloucesterblackfriars.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q4922887 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Blackfriars, Gloucester (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Gloucester Blackfriars 20.08.11.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Blackfriars?
- Blackfriars is in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode GL1 2HN), in the parish of Gloucester, unparished area.
- What is Blackfriars?
- Blackfriars — former friary in Gloucester, England.
- How do I get to Blackfriars?
- The nearest railway station is Gloucester, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode GL1 2HN.
- When was Blackfriars built?
- Built or established in 1201.
- Who runs Blackfriars?
- Blackfriars is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Blackfriars a listed building?
- Blackfriars is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Blackfriars a protected site?
- Yes — Blackfriars is part of the Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Blackfriars?
- The nearest railway station is Gloucester, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode GL1 2HN.