Beverley Friary

Beverley Friary is a row of buildings in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Either part of an old Dominican friary or built on the site of the friary using stone from the site the buildings are a Grade II* listed building that since 1984 have been used as a youth hostel.History of the friaryA Dominican friary was first established in Beverley. The Dominican order were given an area of land close to Beverley Minster by the Archbishop of York who was the lord of Beverley. On this site the Blackfriars (as the Dominican order were often known due to the colour of their cowls) built their first friary; probably of timber until the cost of stone could be afforded.As the community flourshed and money became available, the friary was extended and in the early 14th century and extension to the south west of the cloister saw the construction of a building to accommodate guests was built and it is the foundations of this building that provide the footings for the present day buildings.By the end of the 14th century the friary was at its maximum extent and the next 150 years saw a gradual decline in the fortunes of the friary and a contraction in the use of the buildings.In 1539 the Dissolution of the Monasteries had entered a second round of dissolutions and the remaining friars were expelled in that year and the property wrecked. Many of the buildings were simply pulled down and much of the material used elsewhere although the guesthouse is thought to have escaped demolition because it was not being used directly for religious purposes. An alternative theory for the existence of the current buildings is that they were constructed on the site of the guesthouse using materials recovered from elsewhere within the friary.

Tags: Hostel