Blackfriars (Farringdon Within)

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The largest and wealthiest friary in England, Blackfriars was not only a religious institution but also a cultural, intellectual, and political centre of London. The friary housed London’s Dominican friars (known in England as the Black friars) after their move from the smaller Blackfriars precincts in Holborn. The Dominicans’ aquisition of the site, overseen by Robert Kilwardby, began in 1275. Before occupying the site, however, they had to negotiate the demolition and reconstruction of the section of the City Wall that ran directly through it, north-south from Ludgate to the Thames. With the support of the Archbishop, Edward I, and London’s mayor, the new wall was completed, and a large portion of the Thames was reclaimed over the next thirty years. Once completed, the precinct was second in size only to St. Paul’s, spanning eight acres from the Fleet to Puddle Dock Hill and from Ludgate to the Thames. Blackfriars remained a political and social hub, hosting councils and even parlimentary proceedings, until its surrender in 1538 pursuant to Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries (Holder 27–56).
A survey of the Blackfriars precincts (Harben Plate 3).
A survey of the Blackfriars precincts (Harben Plate 3).

References

Mentions of this place in Internet Shakespeare Editions texts