Information for record number MWA140:
Merevale Abbey Frater

Summary Remains of a building thought to be the refectory of Merevale Abbey, a dining hall where the monks would have eaten their meals. It is Medieval in origin and is located on the south side of Abbey Farm.
What Is It?  
Type: Building, Refectory
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Merevale
District: North Warwickshire, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 29 97
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Scheduled Monument (Grade: )
Listed Building (Grade: II)
Sites & Monuments Record
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 S of the church was the refectory or dining hall, a rather noble room, constructed in the 14th century. It was entered near the W end through the N wall. In the S wall of the refectory was the pulpit, a portion of which still remains.
2 Plan of 1904.
3 The side walls of the Frater are still standing to some height. It marks the S side of the cloisters. The remains, about 32m by 10m, stand in a garden E of the farmhouse and consist of the E half of the N and S walls standing about 4m high. They include the S stair to the pulpitum, also a scrap of the W end of the N wall containing the entrance from the cloister and W of this the entrance to the former kitchen, all dating from the mid 13th century.
4 SAM List.
5 Photograph.
6 In most Cistercian houses it was traditional for the refectory to be built on a north-south alignment, but this example is untypically aligned east-west. The north wall survives up to 6m high in places and the eastern half both its internal and external faces are divided into bays by round filleted shafts and semi-octagonal pilasters. The western end of the wall includes an original doorway. An 18m length of the south wall also remains and retains the entrance and stairs to a pulpit within its fabric. The lower courses of the E wall, with a doorway, are visible above ground, whilst the W one remains only as a buried feature.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 4, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Salzman L F (ed)
Date: 1947
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 4
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: LAS
Author/originator: Bloxam M H
Date: 1904
Page Number: 331
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: LAS
Author/originator: Bloxam M H
Date: 1904
Page Number: opp.p324
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR card: photograph
Author/originator:
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM description
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list 1986
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1986
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 68
   
Images:  
Remains of the Refectory at Merevale Abbey, Merevale, North Warwickshire
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 1977
Click here for larger image  
 
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
none Scheduled Monument Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are those archaeological sites which are legally recognised as being of national importance. They can range in date from prehistoric times to the Cold War period. They can take many different forms, including disused buildings or sites surviving as earthworks or cropmarks.

SAMs are protected by law from unlicensed disturbance and metal detecting. Written consent from the Secretary of State must be obtained before any sort of work can begin, including archaeological work such as geophysical survey or archaeological excavation. There are nearly 200 SAMs in Warwickshire.
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designation Listed Building Buildings and structures, such as bridges, that are of architectural or historical importance are placed on a statutory list. These buildings are protected by planning and conservation acts that ensure that their special features of interest are considered before any alterations are made to them.

Depending on how important the buildings are they are classed as Grade I, Grade II* or Grade II. Grade I buildings are those of exceptional interest. Grade II* are particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Those listed as Grade II are those buildings that are regarded of special interest.
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source SMR Card Sites and Monuments Record Card. The Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record began to be developed during the 1970s. The details of individual archaeological sites and findspots were written on record cards. These record cards were used until the 1990s, when their details were entered on to a computerised system. The record cards are still kept at the office of the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source SAM List Scheduled Ancient Monument List. A list or schedule of archaelogical and historic monuments that are considered to be of national importance. The list contains a detailed description of each Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and a map showing their location and extent. By being placed on the schedule, SAMs are protected by law from any unauthorised distrubance. The list has been compiled and is maintained by English Heritage. It is updated periodically. back
period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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monument SHAFT * Use only if function unknown, otherwise use specific type. back
monument PULPIT * Use as an external architectural feature only. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument REFECTORY * A communal dining room, especially in schools, colleges and monasteries. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument KITCHEN * A building or room where food is prepared and cooked. back
monument FARMHOUSE * The main dwelling-house of a farm, it can be either detached from or attached to the working buildings. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument ABBEY * A religious house governed by an abbot or abbess. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument CLOISTER * A covered walk, walled on one side and usually arcaded on the other, surrounding or partly surrounding an open area in a monastery or similar complex of Christian buildings. back
monument GARDEN * An enclosed piece of ground devoted to the cultivation of flowers, fruit or vegetables and/or recreational purposes. Use more specific type where known. back
monument ROUND * A small, Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement found in South West England. back
monument FARM * A tract of land, often including a farmhouse and ancillary buildings, used for the purpose of cultivation and the rearing of livestock, etc. Use more specific type where known. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record