DARTFORD PRIORY

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Dominican Nunnery founded 1349, dissolved 1539, refounded 1558 until 1559. Dartford Priory stood on the site of Hall's Engineering Works. It was founded by Edward III about 1349 in the buildings of a former royal palace. New buildings had been erected by 1356. The priory was suppressed in 1538 and the buildings converted into a royal house which was at first occupied by Henry VIII, then granted to Anne of Cleves by Edward VI, later used by Queen Elizabeth but alienated by James I. The principal remains of this house consist of the Gatehouse which was built by Henry VIII between 1541 and 1545. Under the Catholic Queen Mary it was reoccupied by the nuns between 1557-8. After the return of a protestant monarch it was subsequently used as a farmhouse until taken over by Hall's Engineering Works. The remains, all now within Hall's Works, include the Tudor gatehouse incorporated in the Royal manor house circa 1543, and the precinct wall remains. Human remains have been found at the site.

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[Centred TQ 54007460] Priory [G.T.] (Rems. of) (1)

This was a house of Dominican Nuns, or Sisters of The Order of St. Augustine' and as such, the only one of its kind in England. It was founded by Edward III in 1349 and dissolved in 1539, when Henry VIII built a Manor House on its site C.1543. Foundations, probably of the Priory church, were uncovered in 1913, during extensions to Messrs. J & E. Hall Ltd. (2) In 1927 they purchased the Manor, which was then a farm and now use the house as an office (3) [See AO/59/214/1 - 5 (3)] (2-4)

The Priory contains work of two distinct periods:-

i. The remains of the 14th C. house of Dominican Nuns.
ii. The remains of the c. 1543 Manor House of Henry VIII

Of the nunnery the following can be identified:-

(a) Part of the precinct wall (see 25" AM for extent and description)
(b) A portion of the S. wall of the S. Aisle of the conventual church including a 14th C. doorway. (The present position of this doorway cannot be reconciled with the photo. of Authy. 3 and it must be assumed that it has been moved slightly since then) GP AO/59/194/5 - from N.
(c) Fragmentary remains of the W. range incorporated in the post Dissolution Manor House. q.v.

The manor house comprises (a) an L-shaped two-storied brick building with a stair turret in the re-entrant angle. The building is in use as a store. The lower courses of part of the W. front, including the lower jambs of the gateway, are of stone, and the building also incorporates a two stone storied building at its S. end. These remains probably represent the west range of the nunnery.

GPs AO/59/194/1 View from NE
2 View from NE
3,4, Panoramic view of W. front.

(b) The boundary walls and some internal walls- see 25" AM for extent and description.
(c) A 16th C. doorway inserted into the Priory wall.

The whole of these remains are contained within the premises of Messrs. J. & E. Hall Ltd. Engineers. (5)

No change. (6)

KINGSFIELD TERRACE (East Side) Priory Farmhouse containing the remains of Dartford Priory Gatehouse (Formerly listed as Priory Farmhouse and Gate, (Hythe Street)

TQ 5274 1/16 22.12.53 Grade II*

Dartford Priory stood on the site of Hall's Engineering Works. It was founded by Edward III about 1349 in the buildings of a former royal palace. New buildings had been erected by 1356. The priory was suppressed in 1538 and the buildings converted into a royal house which was at first occupied by Henry VIII, then granted to Anne of Cleves by Edward VI, later used by Queen Elizabeth but alienated by James I. The principal remains of this house consist of the Gatehouse which was built by Henry VIII between 1541 and 1545. It was subsequently used as a farmhouse until taken over by Hall's Works. An L-shaped building. 2 storeys red brick but with some stone rubble to the ground floor. Tiled roof, partly replaced with glass to form skylights. 5 casement windows. In the angle of the L is a 2 storeyed rectangular projection. At the north end of the north wing is a blocked 4-centred stone carriage archway with a moulded brick head and dripstone over. The interior contains contemporary stone fireplaces and ceiling beams but has otherwise been modernised. (7)

Additional bibliography. (8-21)

Additional bibliography - not consulted. (22-24)

The individual finds from the site have not been prolific, but several have been outstanding. The largest single group of material consists of carved masonry mostly found re-used inside the Tudor walls. It includes a large amount of 12th Century Normandy Caenstone which is known to have been brought to the Dartford Palace site in the mid 16th Century. Of several very interesting pieces one is part of a medieval statue of probable Madonna and Child which may have formed part of an elaborate architecural feature. This is likely to have related to the medieval nunnery that occupied the site from the mid 14th Century . Other finds include decorated floor tile, again of monastic date, and window glass and pottery. Several skeletons have also been uncovered. (25)

The site is in the most part beneath modern warehouse stores constructed in the last 5 to 10 years. No excavation was undertaken before their construction. The northern part is under a construction yard, railway embankment and carpark.
The gate house of the nunnery was incorporated into a building constructed after the nunneries dissolution for Henry VIII. Nothing is known about the state of preservation of the rest of the nunnery other than the parts of precinct wall which survive along the northern edge of the site.
The extent and state of preservation of any surviving remains of the nunnery is not known. It is therefore not possible to judge these remains as being of national importance without further evaluation. (26)

Additional source discussing Dartford in the context of being a Tudor Royal Palace. The layout of the Tudor place is not fully understood , but the Royal lodgings were reached via a guard chamber by an impressive proccessional stairway; showing a move away from the previously usual great hall as an importnat reception area. (27)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1938

( 2) edited by William Page 1926 The Victoria history of the county of Kent, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)181-90

( 3) Royal Archaeological Institute The archaeological journal

A.W. Clapham 83, 1926 Page(s)67-85

( 4) Externally held archive reference

Dartford Museum (Notice with exhibits from Priory)

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 18-NOV-59

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 ASP 16-SEP-64

( 7) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE(HHR) Dist of Dartford, Kent, Sept 1975, 7.

( 8) Royal Archaeological Institute The archaeological journal

E Hesketh 79, 1922 Page(s)392

( 9) Royal Archaeological Institute The archaeological journal

CFR Palmer 39, 1882 Page(s)177-9

(10) Royal Archaeological Institute The archaeological journal

CFR Palmer 36, 1879 Page(s)241-71

(11) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 1 : the Middle Ages

Page(s)264

(12) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)184

(13) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)216,285

(14) by John Newman 1976 West Kent and the Weald

The buildings of England Page(s)257

(15) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Page(s)68-74

(16) Post-medieval archaeology : the journal of the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology

J Cherry 12, 1978 Page(s)115

(17) Council for Kentish Archaeology Kent archaeological review

D Garrod 61, 1980 Page(s)19-20

(18) Council for Kentish Archaeology Kent archaeological review

B Philp 47, 1977 Page(s)160-1

(19) Council for Kentish Archaeology Kent archaeological review

JV Ritson 2, 1965 Page(s)33

(20) General reference

DOE Archaological Excavations 1976 129 (B Philp)

(21) Antiquity Publications Limited Antiquity

JA Sparvel-Bayly 16, 1887 Page(s)257-9

(22) Proceedings of the Woolwich District Antiquarian Society

18, 1912 Page(s)80

(23) Proceedings of the Woolwich District Antiquarian Society

7, 1901-2 Page(s)22-24

(24) Francis Grose 1773 The Antiquities of England and Wales

2 Page(s)89-90

( 25) Council for Kentish Archaeology Kent archaeological review

49, 1977 Page(s)219-21

(26) English Heritage Alternative Action Report

MPPA: Ms L Austin. Date of Visit: 30-Jul-1992.

(27) Simon Thurley 1993 The royal palaces of Tudor England : architecture and court life

Page(s)58-59, 119, 151, 156, 161

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