The Colchester Archaeologist 2002 - Colchester Archaeological Trust

St John's
Abbey
explored
The precinct is not open to the public but
the gatehouse can be visited. Parts of
the precinct wall can be seen in the
surrounding streets.
Right: a speculative layout of the abbey on
the assumption that the cloisters were on
the north side of the abbey church. The
plan shown here is loosely based on the
Benedictine abbey at Chester which was
arranged in this way. There were probably
more ancillary buildings than are shown
here. According to the 1610 and 1648
maps of Colchester, the Lucas house stood
in the southern part of the precinct. The
house may have incorporated parts of some
of the monastic buildings, as was sometimes
the case in Dissolved monasteries
elsewhere. The monastery was apparently
being demolished in 1552, although there
is a record to the effect that part of the
abbey church was still standing as late as
1621. Interestingly, there is a tall building
on the 1610 and 1648 maps, which could
be interpreted as being the partly demolished
abbey church where only the central
tower and the east end have been retained.
(The church at St Botolph's Priory in Colchester
was treated in this way after the
Dissolution, except that it was the nave that
was kept with the central tower and east end
being demolished.)
G A very small part of a
substantial east-west foundation
was found in 1986
during building works on the
east side of the Garrison
Officers' Club. This is the
only part of the abbey buildings
uncovered to date.
B St John's Abbey gatehouse
is a very fine twostoreyed
building of 15thcentury
date. The gatehouse
is of two storeys,
with flint flushwork panelling,
battlements and corner
turrets. The building
was badly damaged during
the Siege of Colchester in
1648, but it seems to have
been accurately restored
in the mid 19th century.
The gatehouse is open to
the public, without charge
(but not the upper storey).
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