Document record MAB57036 - CARMELITE FRIARY

Site of a Carmelite friary which was founded circa 1273 and destroyed at the time of the Reformation.

Site of a Carmelite friary which was founded circa 1273 and destroyed at the time of the Reformation. By circa 1647 only a single vault, which was known as the 'Friar's Kiln' remained. A watching brief carried out by Aberdeen Archaeology Unit in 1977 at 2-12 Rennie's Wynd (NJ90NW0236) during construction of an extension to Littlewoods suggested that the site had been tidal until the late medieval period: subsequent land reclamation was evident. A number of excavations have been carried out between 1980 and 1994. Excavation June 1980-April 1981 at 12 Martin's Lane (NJ90NW0107). Excavation was carried out in 1986 following demolition of 19-25 Hadden Street (NJ90NW0299). Excavation by the Aberdeen City Unit in 1994 (NJ90NW0278) at The Green uncovered the northwest corner of the church. The remains included chamfered sandstone buttress bases, a doorway and a north wall with some surviving moulding, possibly of 14th century date. Inside the church were nearly 60 skeletons in graves cut through various floor levels. A cobbled area to the north was also cut through by burials. Pre-friary plough marks were also identified. A line of large postholes running parallel to the north wall of the church may belong to an earlier wooden building, possibly an earlier church. To the south of the church, a long stone building may have been the remains of the west range of the cloister. It was divided into four rooms, one of which may have been a kitchen with a fireplace and drain, which was dated to the 15th century by a coin found in the wall foundation. Many fragments painted glass and lead window cames were found. Adjacent to this building were three burials, an oven and a kiln. See also NJ90NW0664 - watching brief at 12-26 Carmelite Street.

STONES, J, 1982, EXCAVATIONS AT THE CARMELITE FRIARY, ABERDEEN 1980-81 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1772.

STONES, J, 1989, THREE SCOTTISH CARMELITE FRIARIES: ABERDEEN, LINLITHGOW AND PERTH SOC OF ANTIQA SCOTLAND MONOGRAPH SERIES NUMBER 6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1779.

DENNISON, E, 1997, HISTORIC ABERDEEN: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF DEVELOPMENT. THE SCOTTISH BURGH SURVEY, pp. 74-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4057.

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2012, ABERDEEN: GREEN HERITAGE TRAIL, trail leaflet (Bibliographic reference). SAB8365.

CAMERON, A, 2019, EXCAVATIONS AT ABERDEEN'S CARMELITE FRIARY, 1980-1994 IN INTERNET ARCHAEOLOGY 52. (Bibliographic reference). SAB8044.

Record last edited

Apr 17 2023 11:09AM