Type

Monument

Title / Name

The Priory

Summary

A medieval priory of the White Friars or Carmelites. Human burials were revealed during an evaluation excavation in 2001.

FRIARY, Medieval (1066 to 1539)

Source Detail: Waylen, James, 1854

Title: History Military and Municipal of the Town of Marlborough

Summary: Publication Source ID: SWI11232

Source Detail: Knowles, D. + Hadcock, N., 1953

Title: Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - 1953

Summary: Publication Source ID: SWI12711

Description: A house of the White Friars or Carmelites was founded in AD1316. There were five friars at its dissolution in 1538. The building was finally demolished in 1820.

Source Detail: Phillips, B., 2002

Title: St Martin's Mews, Marlborough

Summary: Excavation - Full report Source ID: SWI24568

Description: Wall foundation trenching in 2002 revealed four deep grave pits that contained coffined adult skeletons. Other shallower burials were observed. The graves cut the floor of a building , which sealed a humus layer containing late thirteenth or early fourteenth century pottery sherds. Structural debris overlay the floor and included terracotta floor and roof tile fragments. Two further burials in a shallower grave cut were of a young female adult apparently associated with a six-month old child burial. The initial feature of the thirteenth century is a extensive flat-bottomed hollow, having dished sides and measuring c4.5m by 4.3m by 0.35m deep. There followed a period when humus built up, and animal bone and a few pottery sherds indicated a date of the thirteenth or early 14th century for its formation. Over this a building was erected having chalk and flint packing laid to support its floor. Mortar deposited on the packing and terracotta tile fragments suggest it may have been a tiled floor. It is not clear whether the graves and the rubbish /latrine pit were cut within the building or after its demolition. A later well was constructed possibly within a building. Pottery included wares from the Cricklade area, from Nash Hill and from the Kennet Valley. Four fragments of terracotta tiles were recovered, three of which overlay the mortar bedding of the medieval building. Two retained their glazed surface. Roofing tile fragments were also recovered including ridge tiles.