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Site record CHR76

Site name

Christ Church Greyfriars

Site location

Newgate Street, EC1

Borough

City of London

Year

1976

Greater London SMR No.

044456-7

Location

Latitude: 51.5158433 Longitude: -0.0991606

National Grid Ref.

TQ3201081350

Type of fieldwork

excavation

Archaeological periods

Roman, Medieval, Post-Medieval, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century

Summary

Excavations were carried out in advance of the digging of a shaft 5m square for works connected with the nearby St Paul's Underground Station. Earliest activity consisted of quarry and other pits, followed by the construction of a building founded on brickearth sills and aligned on the Roman Newgate road. It was destroyed by fire, possibly the Hadrianic, in the early 2nd c. Levelling above the fire debris was covered by dark earth which was later cut by medieval pits dated to the late 12th-mid-13th c. Above these the traces of five buildings may represent occupation of the site by the Franciscan (Grey) Friars in the early 13th c; they were probably demolished for the construction of the church (1306-53). The arched foundations of the S wall and a pier base of the S aisle of the friary church were recorded. Five graves are considered to have been contemporary. Constructed onto the truncated foundations of the friary church was an external wall of Wren's post-Fire parish church; three brick piers were also recorded. Relocated lead coffins, dating to 1764-1803, were found in a 19th-c cut feature.For earlier work on the Christchurch Greyfriars site, see GF73 above; for later work, CCN80 and CIS89 below. For work in the Greyfriars' garden W of the church, see POM79 below.

Source: Schofield, John with Maloney, Cath (eds.) (1998). Archaeology in the City of London, 1907-1991: a guide to records of excavations by the Museum of London and its predecessors. The Archaeological Gazetteer Series, Volume 1. London: Museum of London. ISBN 0-904818-81-0.