Whitefriars, Gloucester facts for kids
.svg)
Whitefriars, also known as the White Friars, was a Carmelite friary in Gloucester, England. A friary is a special kind of monastery where monks, called friars, lived and prayed. Today, nothing of the original Whitefriars building remains.
The Story of Whitefriars
This friary was built just outside the north gate of Gloucester city. It started around 1268 or 1269. Important people like Queen Eleanor, Sir Thomas Gifford, and Sir Thomas Berkeley likely helped to set it up. By the year 1337, a total of 31 friars lived there.
Important People and Changes
Some well-known individuals, such as Nicholas Cantelow, came from the Whitefriars friary. However, over time, the number of friars living there became much smaller. When the king decided to close down many monasteries in England, a time known as the dissolution of the monasteries, only three friars were left at Whitefriars.
Much of the friary was taken apart around 1567. Stones and other materials from the buildings were even used to build defenses for Gloucester during the English Civil War. This was a big war that happened in England. During the war, the main living area of the friary was turned into a barn.
Later, when Elizabeth I was Queen, parts of the friary were used as a prison for the county. The area where the friary once stood became known as Friars' Ground.
Finding the Past
In October 2020, archaeologists made an exciting discovery. They found parts of the old Whitefriars friary! This happened when a large car park was taken down in 2019 to make way for new buildings in Gloucester.
