Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Former monastery of about 1860. Long buttressed brick building with ranges of Diocletian windows. Gives its name to the adjacent street of The Monastery, and to Monastery Court (a recent name).
The Monastery was established by a rebel Anglican clergyman who took the name of Father Ignatius and provoked riots in the city (see notes filed under NHER 583). He fled the area in 1866.
The building is very important in 19th century religious history.
E. Rose (NLA), 22 May 2006.

A fuller version of the Monastery (which also included NHER 583) and the background is given in (S1). It is not clear from this however how much refers to NHER 44635 and how much to NHER 583; the latter is shown in photographs of the time but the chapel described seems to be more fitted to NHER 44635.
(S1) describes it as a rag warehouse taken over by Ignatius, and thus perhaps predating the 1860s. Ignatius first left the area without handing over ownership of the building and when he returned in 1869 he found it in use as a Baptist preaching hall. He reoccupied it and attempted to hold it by squatters rights against the police but was finally evicted in 1876 after which it became an upholstery works.
E. Rose (NLA), 15 December 2006.

May-October 2009 and April 2010. Building Survey and Watching Brief.
Programme of historic building recording and archaeological monitoring and recording at Monastery Court.
The building was initially constructed in the mid-19th century as a base for Father Ignatius who was a preacher, monk and tried to reintroduce monasticism to England. Although the funds to construct the building were raised the project was abandoned before it was completed due to Ignatius undertaking pilgrimage to Rome in 1866. The building was subsequently used as a Baptist preaching hall. In 1876 the building became an upholstery works. The style of the building is similar to the more restrained style of Protestant meeting house rather than the revived Gothic style favoured by Anglo-Catholicism at the time. However, the building is consistent with the arts and crafts style popular in the 1860's. There are few original fixtures and fittings to reconstruct the layout and use of the building. There is some evidence of modification including a contemporary extension at the north-west end.
A 19th century brick-lined drain was also observed during the monitoring work but no earlier features or finds were observed.
See reports (S2) and (S3) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.68 and NWHCM : 2013.250).
S. Howard (NLA), 1 July 2010 and 20 September 2010. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

Monument Types

• DRAIN (18th Century to 19th Century - 1800 AD to 1899 AD)
• MONASTERY (19th Century - 1860 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Norwich (Parish Summary)