Monument record BSE 014 - Babwell Friary; Fornham Priory; The Vinery

Babwell Friary.
Franciscan Friary, founded 1263, dissolved 1538. Two bridges over R Lark. The remaining undeveloped areas of the site of a small Franciscan friary founded just outside Bury in 1263. The N half of the scheduled area is a rough field and includes a fishpond and earthworks (and a World War II pill box). The other half is garden and includes part of the church, cemetery and claustral wall. There are remains of the Friary wall along the bank which bounds the site on the NE and remains of a mural bridge at the E end. All the various known features are marked & described on the OS record cards (S1)(S2).

April 1962: A S Phillips describes precinct walls & discovery of footings on N side during construction of housing estate & position of blocked gateway. Also states Alerman Olly of Fornham (Babwell) Priory `possesses a plan undated but probably early C19. It shows the foundation of the church centred at TL 8507 6604 with those of several other buildings on the N side'. These were plotted on OS card (S2).

1985: Excavation and watching brief by SAU in advance of 1st hotel extension, single inhumation and remains of a substantial E-W wall, subsequently interpreted as ?S wall of church nave. Excavation comrpised only small area measuring 4.8m x 1.00m, and foudnation trenches monitored. (9)

1989: Geophysical survey in January (details in file) followed by excavations by SAU in advance of 2nd hotel extension. Inhumations, small area of tile and wall footings beneath building suggesting a church. To the NE under a carpark area substantial walls also forming part of church and associated buildings to the N. High status grave found between area for builidng and car park area, in the place where a drain was to be put. Single inhumation interred in a stone coffin with pewter chalice and paten. Assessed to be male, although no osteological analysis was undertaken, and interpreted as possible burial of a priest. All human remains were not removed for osteological analysis and were reinterred on site. (S10)

July 1990: Additional area of former Friary, including gateway (site of) & NW ?ditch (?date), now largely built over, incorporated in mapped area of site.

1991: Geophysical survey in advance of development at the `Vinery' adjacent to River Lark. Shows possible walls along the W edgeof the site. (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for landowner details).
(N.B. Planning Applications: E/89/2887/P - dwelling `The Vinery'; E/91/ 3067/P (hotel conservatory); E/89/2449/P - 2nd hotel extension; E/84/ 2324P - 1st hotel extension.)

1998: Evaluation by small test trench on area of proposed extension identified a linear feature on the same alignment as the in situ section of the precinct and probably represents a robber trench, excavated for the removal of the wall's foundation. A small oval pit and a small area of mortar patches were also seen (S3)(S6).

2000: Monitoring of footing trenches removed a short length of the precinct wall of thr Franciscan friary. The footing trench for the medieval wall was filled with orixonatl bands of compacted gravel, c.0.4m deep. Other disturbances include one, or more, large pits. The dispaalced head of a human femur is probably evidence of the monk's cemetery known from excavations at the north end of the site (S7).