Austin Friary, Cambridge facts for kids
The Austin Friary (also known as the Augustinian Friary) was a type of priory (a religious house for friars) located in Cambridge, England. It was found on Peas Hill in the center of Cambridge from about 1289 until it was closed down in 1538.
History of the Friary
The Austin Friars religious group started in the mid-1200s. They were given a small piece of land near Bene't Street in Cambridge in the late 1200s. Over time, the Friary grew a lot! It eventually covered the area where the modern New Museums Site is today. This land stretched from Peas Hill all the way to Downing Street (which was then called Dow Dyers Lane). It also went from Corn Exchange Street (Slaughter Lane) to Free School Lane (Luttburne Lane).
Many of the friars were also scholars at the University of Cambridge. In the early 1500s, they would often meet at the White Horse Tavern. This tavern was on what is now Queens' Lane. It was sometimes called "Little Germany" because it became a meeting place for people interested in the new Protestant ideas.
The main entrance to the Friary was at the end of Peas Hill. This is roughly where 16 Bene't Street stands today.
Two well-known members of the Friary were Robert Barnes and Myles Coverdale.
Just before the Friary was closed, a historian named John Leland visited its library. He wrote about several important books he found there. These included five works by William Ockham and two by John Capgrave. One book from the library is known to have survived. It is a collection of writings, partly written by Adam de Stockton in Cambridge in 1375. This book is now kept at Trinity College, Dublin.
After the Friary was closed in the 1530s, its land and buildings were sold many times. Maps from the late 1500s still showed the Friary. The very last of the original Friary buildings was torn down in the 1790s. This building was likely the infirmary (a place for the sick) or a guest hall. Some parts of the old building were used in the construction of new buildings on the New Museums Site.
