Former Dominican Friary (Blackfriars) Norwich: St Andrew's Hall and Blackfriars' Hall, The Crypt, the south range, the East Garth and east cloister walk, the West Garth, and west boundary wall

This extensive former Dominican friary complex in Norwich comprises St Andrew's Hall and Blackfriars' Hall (the converted church), The Crypt, the south range, the East Garth and east cloister walk, the West Garth, and the west boundary wall. The buildings were originally constructed by the Friars Penitential in the 13th century, but largely rebuilt by the Dominican order in the 14th and 15th centuries. Following the Dissolution, the church was converted into municipal halls around 1540, with subsequent restoration and alterations undertaken in 1861 and 1863.

The buildings are constructed of coursed and random rubble flint, including some knapped flint, with limestone and brick dressings. The former church features a limestone ashlar clerestory. There is polychrome brickwork to the west elevation of the West Garth. The roofs are covered with copper, slate, pan-tiles and felt.

The complex retains the plan of a former cloister forming three sides of a quadrangle, with the west range (The West Garth), east range (The East Cloister Walk and East Garth), south range (including the South Cloister Walk), and the former church (St Andrew's Hall and Blackfriars' Hall) to the south.

St Andrew's Hall and Blackfriars' Hall (The Church)

The Dominican friary church, now functioning as two municipal halls, originated in the 14th century but was largely rebuilt between 1440 and 1470 following a fire. It was converted to halls around 1540, with further alterations in 1863 as part of a restoration by the City Surveyor Thomas Barry.

The building comprises an aisled nave of seven bays (now St Andrew's Hall) divided by a cross passage from a chancel of five bays (now Blackfriars' Hall).

Exterior

The south front faces St Andrew's Plain and consists of a lean-to aisle of seven bays, an ashlar clerestory of fourteen bays, and the walkway and chancel to the east. A knapped flint plinth and ashlar string course run around the building beneath window level.

The aisle contains five bays of 14th-century Decorated windows, an 1863 Perpendicular porch in the second bay from the west, and a 15th-century Perpendicular window in the seventh bay. All are separated by stepped buttresses. The Decorated windows feature three lights with reticulated tracery under two-centred arches, while the Perpendicular window has four lights with embattled transoms stepped up and down.

The porch projects forward two bays and rises two storeys with angled buttresses. Its south doorway comprises a pointed arch of two moulded orders rising on shafts with foliated capitals, set under a square head with roundels in the spandrels enriched with quatrefoils and shields. A mid-19th-century wrought-iron gate fills the opening. Above the doorway is an ashlar frieze decorated with quatrefoils and shields, surmounted by a four-light window in the gable. This window features two lights under a two-centred arch and two side lights under square heads, all with ogee tracery. The gable is topped by an ashlar parapet with a trefoil fretwork design and a finial. The west elevation of the porch has a projecting stair-turret and a pointed two-light window, while the east features two pointed two-light windows to the ground floor and a square-headed mullioned window to the first floor. All porch openings have hoodmoulds with foliated-stops or head-stops.

The clerestory windows each comprise three lights with cusped ogee tracery under four-centred arches. They are separated by square panels bearing shields with the coat of arms of the Erpingham family.

In the fourth bay of the south aisle is a mid-19th-century doorway inserted beneath the window, featuring a two-centred arch set in a square head with quatrefoils in the roundels. There is a closely-matching mid-19th-century doorway to the cross passage set within a projecting single-storey porch with a fretwork parapet. A mid-19th-century flint wall with a limestone coping extends south from the south-east corner, incorporating a gateway with flint and limestone capped piers and a wrought-iron gate.

The cross passage and chancel have Perpendicular windows under two-centred brick arches—three lights to the former and five lights to the latter. All feature embattled transoms stepped up and down. Each bay is separated by stepped buttresses.

The east front of the chancel (now Blackfriars' Hall) displays a Decorated window of seven lights with curvilinear tracery under a two-centred arch, largely restored in 1959. It is flanked by angled buttresses pierced by two arches forming a passage adjoined by railings. Attached to the south is a flint boundary wall containing a two-centred arched gateway with a hoodmould.

The north front mirrors the south elevation but features entirely Perpendicular windows: five in the chancel, six windows and a 14th-century arched doorway in the north aisle, and fourteen in the clerestory. In the first bay of the chancel are three segmental-headed arched recesses and a blocked square-headed opening. These originally formed part of a medieval anchorite's cell that projected from the building. The following bay contains a pointed arched doorway under a large brick round-headed opening. The south cloister walk is adjoined to the church by an 1863 infill block with a lean-to roof.

The west front faces St George's Street and was re-fenestrated in 1863. It comprises a large Perpendicular window of five lights to the nave and two three-light Perpendicular windows to the aisles. Four 15th-century stepped flint buttresses separate the bays, but three of these are pierced by mid-19th-century arches to form a pedestrian passage next to St George's Street. Beneath the nave window is a large doorway approached by steps, containing mid-19th-century wooden doors with decorative wrought-iron hinges. The doorway is formed of a pointed arch of two moulded orders rising on shafts with foliated capitals, set under a square head with roundels in the spandrels enriched with quatrefoils and shields. Above it is a hoodmould with head-stops. On either side of the doorway are flint flushwork panels decorated with trefoils and shields. Set in the angled buttress at the north-west corner is a pointed arched doorway.

The former nave (now St Andrew's Hall) has a pitched copper roof with limestone decorative crosses to the gables, and copper downpipes. There are copper-covered lean-to roofs over the aisles, and a slate roof with lead flashings to the former chancel (now Blackfriars' Hall).

Interior

The south porch of St Andrew's Hall contains stone benches and a mid-19th-century timber screen with diamond leaded lights and double doors. A two-centred arched doorway containing a 15th-century iron-studded timber door with carved tracery and coats of arms leads through to St Andrew's Hall. The porch has a chequered tiled floor. A wrought-iron gate in the west wall provides access to the staircase to the first floor, which contains a cast iron stove set within a chamfered stone fireplace.

St Andrew's Hall occupies the nave and side aisles of the former church. The nave arcades comprise seven bays of two-centred arches supported on piers formed of four shafts separated by wide hollow chamfers. The inward-facing shafts continue up to the level of the clerestory to carry corbels supporting the hammer-beam roof, which has double butt-purlins and a ridge-piece. The lean-to roofs over the aisles are supported by arched braces resting on corbels.

Set into the wall at the east end is a mid-19th-century two-centred arch resting on angel corbels. The responds are formed of four shafts separated by chamfers decorated with blind tracery. An organ built by Bryceson Brothers and Ellis in 1880 occupies the space under the arch, while a 20th-century timber stage is situated in front of it. The organ has a central oak case of 1824 with a Gothic fretwork design incorporating tracery, quatrefoils and pinnacles. It is Grade II listed in the British Institute of Organ Studies National Pipe Organ Register. On either side of the east arch are two late 20th-century foyers. The hall windows largely contain mid-19th-century diamond leaded lights but there are stained glass panels in the south aisle and west window of the nave. The hall has a 20th-century timber floor.

The cross passage (or 'walking place') between the two halls now forms a foyer containing a reception desk and wheelchair lift, with a late 20th-century bar in a partitioned space beneath the east arch of St Andrew's Hall. There is a mid-19th-century partition containing pointed arches and blind tracery set into the arch. An 18th-century memorial stone is mounted on the east wall and there is a 15th-century four-centred arched doorway leading to a stair turret in the north-east corner.

Blackfriars' Hall occupies the chancel of the former church. It is approached from the west through a four-centred arched doorway containing a mid-19th-century timber door with stained glass panels. The hall has a rafter and purlin roof with single butt-purlins, a ridge piece, and arched braces on wall posts. There are carved angel and foliage bosses where the principal rafters and purlins meet.

Set into the north wall is a circa 1639 architectural memorial tablet to Reverend Johannes Ellison, senior minister of the Dutch congregation, and, beneath it, a brass plaque to his son. A 15th-century two-centred arched doorway at the east end of the north wall provides external access. The hall contains a 20th-century stage at the east end and a 1920s timber floor that is raised above the original stone floor slabs and memorial stones. The windows have mid-19th-century diamond leaded lights. Attached to the south side of the hall is a late 20th-century service range, which is not of special interest.

South Range and The Crypt

The south range of the Dominican Friary originally served as the south cloister walk, library, and possibly the Prior's quarters and infirmary. Dating from the 15th century, it was altered in 1861. A lean-to of 1863 is attached to the south. To the south-east is a vestibule (now known as 'The Crypt') built by the Friars Penitential in the 13th century but altered by the Dominicans in the 14th century.

The range is a two-storey gabled building rising to three storeys at the north-west corner where there is a projecting rectangular stair-turret. A single-storey lean-to of 1863 is attached to the south and to the south-east is the vestibule known as The Crypt. Further east are the remains of Becket's Chapel (a scheduled monument).

Exterior

The north elevation of the south range faces the cloister garth. On the ground floor is a four-bay arcade of two-centred, quadruple-chamfered, brick-built arches separated by stepped buttresses. The first floor has nine lancets or pointed-arched windows containing sashes or fixed panes, while the second floor has two lancet windows with fixed panes set within a side gable. The projecting staircase contains slit windows and lancets. The arches of the ground-floor arcade contain 20th-century glass panels except for two mid-19th-century timber doors with decorative wrought-iron hinges in the third bay. There are several blocked openings at first floor level. Both the mid-19th-century stair-turret and third floor have flint and brick banding to the walls.

The east elevation of the south range has two lancet windows to the first floor. It is adjoined at the south-east by The Crypt, a two-bay rectangular building. The south range has a slate-covered roof while The Crypt has a flat felt roof.

Interior

On the ground floor is the south cloister walk, a 15th-century rib-vaulted walkway 15 bays long. The vaults are built of brick, plastered and limewashed, and rest on stone corbels supported by engaged columns. Several rib-vaulted rooms, now serving as stores and a kitchen, and a mid-19th-century stairwell are attached to the west end of the north wall. The room nearest the stairwell contains two blocked stone arches in its south and west wall.

The first floor has offices, dressing rooms and toilets leading off a corridor at the east end. There are traces of a pre-1861 decorative scheme including a curved cornice to two rooms and a niche in the south wall of the corridor. At the west end is a toilet and two meeting rooms with mid-19th-century stone fireplaces and exposed timber-framing to the roof. The fireplaces have foliage carving to the spandrels, and one features Corinthian columns and corbels supporting the mantelshelf. There are mid-19th-century timber-boarded doors with decorative iron hinges to the meeting rooms, toilet and adjacent stairwell. The second floor contains a later 19th-century toilet and a meeting room.

The 1863 infill range between the south cloister walk and St Andrew's Hall contains several storage rooms, modern services and toilets. There is a mid-19th-century four-centred arched doorway within the ladies' toilet with carved spandrels depicting the coats of arms of Norwich and the Guild of St Georges.

The Crypt is approached at the west through a four-centred arched doorway with carved spandrels, containing a mid-19th-century door with decorative iron hinges. A staircase leads down into the square rib-vaulted vestibule or ante-chapel, which has chamfered brick vaults supported on a central stone pier with a moulded capital. There is a blocked 14th-century quadruple-chamfered arched window in the west wall, and a blocked 14th-century arched window, two part-blocked windows and an arched doorway in the east wall. The remaining openings were inserted in the 19th and 20th centuries. Next to the east doorway, which leads out to the remains of Becket's Chapel, are two arched recesses, one of which may have served as a stoup.

East Garth and East Cloister Walk

The east range of the Dominican Friary originally served as the east cloister walk and dorter (dormitory). Dating from the 15th century, it was altered in 1861 and in 2011.

The range comprises a two-storey building (now known as the East Garth) with a hipped roof, attached to a single-storey east cloister walkway at the south.

Exterior

The west front of the east range faces the cloister garth. The ground floor comprises a six-bay arcade of two-centred, quadruple-chamfered, brick-built arches—four arches to the East Garth, separated by stepped buttresses, and two arches to the east cloister walkway attached at the south. The first floor is set back from the ground floor. It contains several blocked openings as well as five 19th-century casement windows and a 15th-century cinquefoil-headed single-light window under a hoodmould in the third bay. This is the only surviving original window within the cloister. There are four dormers to the attics. The arches of the ground floor arcade contain 20th-century glass panels and 2011 fixed panes apart from the first bay which is partly infilled with brick with a 2011 timber-boarded door. The main entrance is through a glass doorway in the third bay. The north elevation has several blocked doorways which originally led to buildings on the north side of the cloister.

The east elevation of the East Garth has three bays separated by buttresses. At ground floor level there is a large blocked segmental-headed brick arch to the first bay, a blocked square-headed doorway to the second bay and a sash window in the third bay. The first floor contains two blocked openings in the first bay, two casement windows with timber lintels to the second bay, and two small casements to the third bay. There are four dormers and a corbelled brick chimney to the roof. The south elevation contains two sash windows and a dormer window. Attached to the east side of the east cloister walk are the remains of the chapter house (a scheduled monument).

Interior

The East Garth contains a computer room, offices and photography studio. On the ground floor are remains of the 14th-century inner wall of the cloister walkway and cross walls displayed within glass cases (these form part of a scheduled monument). The joists to the first floor are supported by straight braces. One tie beam survives to the roof, which is otherwise a rafter and purlin roof.

West Garth and First Bay of Adjoining Range

The west range of the Dominican Friary originally served as the west cloister walk, frater (refectory), and possibly the kitchen. Dating from the 15th century, it was altered in 1861 when the west elevation was refaced in polychrome brickwork by the architect James S Benest.

The range comprises a two-storey gabled building (now known as the West Garth), and the first bay of an adjoining two-storey gabled range at the north, which incorporates 15th-century flint-built fabric and formed part of the north-west corner of the friary cloister.

Exterior

The east front of the west range faces the cloister garth. On the ground floor are (from left to right): a three-bay arcade of two-centred, quadruple-chamfered, brick-built arches; a mid-19th-century semi-circular brick stair turret built against the fourth arch; a lean-to entry porch; and a carriage entrance. The first floor includes four mid-19th-century casement windows and several blocked openings. The three arches of the ground floor arcade contain two mid-19th-century casement windows and a late 20th-century doorway. Originally the arches were separated by stepped buttresses; two survive between the first and second, and third and fourth bays.

The stair turret is constructed of red brick with a corbelled eaves cornice beneath a conical slate roof. It is lit by three narrow shoulder-arched windows. Immediately to the north is the entrance porch covered by a lean-to roof. In the sixth bay is the segmental-headed carriage entrance. The range has a slate roof with a limestone coping to the gables.

Attached to the north side of the west range is a low two-storey range adjoined to the former Technical Institute of 1899 (now Norwich University of the Arts). The first bay of this range incorporates 15th-century flint-built fabric and formed part of the north-west corner of the friary cloister. It has a segmental-headed casement window to the ground floor, a sash window to the first floor, and a pan-tiled roof containing a dormer window and red-brick chimney stack.

The west elevation of the west range was elaborately refaced by James S Benest in Gothic Revival style in 1861. It is built of cream-coloured brickwork laid in Flemish bond with red brick banding to the walls, limestone and blue brick dressings, and a red brick plinth. There are seven bays; the southern two bays are an extension of the south cloister range, which projects four bays from the front of the elevation, while the remaining five bays form part of the West Garth.

The ground floor of the extension has a pointed arched doorway of two orders resting on Corinthian columns to the southernmost bay, and paired sash windows under pointed arches to the adjacent bay. Set into the arch of the doorway is a tympanum pierced by a cinquefoil and quatrefoils, supported on corbels decorated with angels. The surrounding brickwork projects from the elevation, being flush with the outer order of the arch, and is surmounted by a brick cornice and tile covering. In the spandrels of the arch are two stone busts. A corbelled string course separates the storeys and is carried around the whole of the west front.

To the first floor are two gable windows—paired sashes in pointed arched surrounds with geometric tracery. The dividing mullions are formed from Corinthian columns. A corbelled chimney stack is built into one of the gables. The north elevation of the extension is similar to the west. The ground floor contains a pointed arched doorway of two orders, three lancet windows and a sash window under a pointed arch of two orders. In the first floor is a paired sash window under a side gable, a narrow lancet, and an elaborate tripartite window of three recessed cusped lancets with octafoil tracery, each under side gables.

The remaining five bays of the elevation comprise a ground floor with (from north to south): a carriage entrance, two single sashes under pointed arches and two tripartite sashes under pointed arches supported by Corinthian columns, recessed within segmental pointed arches under hoodmoulds. To the first floor are five gable windows (and a sixth behind the south cloister extension)—three single sashes under pointed arches and two paired sashes matching those of the south cloister extension. A corbelled string course runs between the window cills and there is a cornice and brick parapet to the roof. The gables are surmounted by cross finials and moulded brick chimney stacks.

Interior

The west range contains a photography studio, offices and art studio. There is an 1861 common rafter roof with ashlar pieces supporting the rafters and soulaces supporting the collars.

Boundary Wall

A polychrome brick boundary wall with a red brick plinth, brick buttresses, and blue brick banding and patterning, encloses a garden in front of the west range. There is a 20th-century gate set into the west side of the wall and an adjoining flint return wall. The west boundary wall contributes to the special interest of the principal buildings and is included in the listing.

Exclusions

The following elements are declared not to be of special architectural or historic interest: the early 21st-century glass screen and kitchen units in the south porch of St Andrew's Hall; the 20th-century stage and stage lighting, retractable seating, late 20th-century foyers, and glass automatic sliding doors in St Andrew's Hall; the glass automatic sliding doors, reception desk, wheelchair lift, early 21st-century staircase, and late 20th-century fitted bar in the cross passage; the 20th-century stage, 1980s timber panels and late 20th-century chandeliers in Blackfriars Hall; the 20th and early 21st-century internal partitions within the infill range between St Andrew's Hall and the south cloister walk; the 20th-century glass fire screen and late 20th-century stair lift in the south cloister walk; the 20th-century internal partitions, fitted worktops and fixtures to the kitchens and store rooms adjoining the north-west side of the south cloister walk; the 20th-century cupboards and stairs in The Crypt; the boiler room, boiler and plant; the external steel staircase to the East Garth; the internal 2011 lift and staircase, 2011 internal partitions and doors, and steel trusses to the photographic studios in the East Garth; the external steel staircase to the West Garth; the 20th and 21st-century internal partitions and suspended ceilings in the West Garth; as well as all 20th and early 21st-century toilets and toilet cubicles. In addition, the whole of the late 20th-century lean-to service range attached to the south side of Blackfriars Hall is not of special architectural or historic interest.