Ipswich Blackfriars

Ipswich Blackfriars is a Dominican religious complex from medieval times, of which only foundations and wall fragments remain visible today. The remains display Gothic features including pointed arches and are set on open ground near the River Orwell.

The complex was founded in 1263 by King Henry III as a Dominican monastery and operated continuously until its dissolution under Henry VIII in 1538. This period of nearly 275 years represents a significant span of monastic life during the English Middle Ages.

The friary cemetery contains 250 burials that provide information about medieval society, including evidence of social conflicts through skeletal remains.

The site is openly accessible with information panels to help visitors interpret the remains. The foundations and wall fragments can be viewed on the grassed area, which is fully exposed to the elements.

An archivist named Joshua Kirby recorded detailed maps of the friary grounds in 1748 before further deterioration occurred. These records are now valuable in understanding how the lost buildings once appeared and were laid out.