Greyfriars, Beverley

Greyfriars in Beverley was a Franciscan friary in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Founded before 1267, it stood near St Mary’s Terrace inside the town walls. In 1297 the friars moved outside Keldgate to a site near Westwood. After falling into disrepair in the 1330s, Sir John Hotham of Scorbrough paid for rebuilding in the 1350s. His family later chose the friary for their burials, and nobles and merchants gave further grants. The friars accepted royal supremacy in 1534, and the monastery closed on 25 February 1538–39. No buildings survive today, yet the name Greyfriars Crescent keeps the memory alive. The street marks the friary’s former location beyond the town’s defences. Visitors walk Greyfriars Crescent and see a quiet residential lane. The route passes where the friars once lived and worked. A nearby plaque recalls the site’s history. The area remains peaceful, with no visible ruins. The street itself is the main reminder of Beverley’s medieval friary.