Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
How medieval friary lost out to modernity
Until as recently as 1960, surviving elements from the medieval Augustinian friary could be found in the Whitefriars area. Unlike the former Blackfriars and Greyfriars, no complete upstanding buildings had survived into the 20th century, but there was enough evidence to establish that a medieval religious foundation had existed there. So why does nothing remain today? The answer, sadly, is that the remains were truncated and spread across a site with vast redevelopment potential.
And in a city with very famous complete medieval buildings, such as the Cathedral, a few old walls were likely considered low priority or even of little importance.
The blitz of June 1942 destroyed much of the Whitefriars area, but the remains of the friary came through intact.
The heavily-restored Whitefriars Gate, in St George’s, also survived, but was still demolished in the post-blitz clearance operations.
As post-war redevelopment of the area spread away from the main street, the friary’s old perimeter wall in Rose Lane and Gravel Walk began to look vulnerable. It was demolished in 1960, along with the closed Simon Langton School complex.
However, there was one stretch of structural wall considered too precious to destroy, even by the early 1960s planners.
And so, this old wall, complete with medieval windows, stood in glorious isolation in Whitefriars car park, in the shadow of the new Riceman’s store. And then, the idea of the first Whitefriars shopping centre was conceived, and even this ancient and cherished wall had to go.
The orgy of destruction was completed just over 10 years ago, when the substantial archaeological remains of the old friary were destroyed for foundations and underground servicing to serve the new shopping scheme.