Record Details

Summary

A house of 13th or early 14th century origin, and thought to be contemporary with the Cathedral Close walls and south gate. The house was much altered in the 18th and 19th centuries, but despite this it still retains many of its original medieval features.

Monument Type(s):

• CLERGY HOUSE (Built, Stuart - 1710 AD to 1710 AD)
• GREAT HALL (Built, Norman to MEDIEVAL - 1200 AD to 1334 AD)
• SERVICE WING (Built, Norman to MEDIEVAL - 1200 AD to 1334 AD)
• SERVICE WING (Demolished, Stuart - 1710 AD to 1710 AD)
• VICARAGE (Converted, Victorian - 1845 AD to 1845 AD)

Associated Events:

• EST251 - A historic building survey of St. Mary's House, The Close, Lichfield, Staffordshire.
• EST256 - An archaeological watching brief a St. Mary's House, Lichfield, December 1989. (NRHE Name - St Mary's House, The Close)
• EST2241 - An archaeological watching brief at St. Mary's House, Lichfield, 1998.

Protected Status:

• Listed Building (II*) 1218902 6: St Mary's House and attached wall

Full description

Priests House of 14th century origins with east and south walls formed by the 13th century close defences including a polygonal tower at the corner. Much altered in the 18th century and later centuries, but much medieval fabric remains. <1>

A survey of the sandstone-built cellars of St. Mary's House confirmed that they formed part of a medieval building integral and contemporary with the early 14th century Cathedral Close wall. Mason's marks noted on the cellar walls are similar to those found on the south gate of the close during excavation, reinforcing the suggestion that the walls and the house are contemporary. The house seems to have been built around the sides of a small courtyard set against the east curtain wall. Part of the lower south range was blocked and sealed during 19th century rebuilding, but several medieval features survive, including a shouldered lintel door and west facing window, together with large windows at first floor level in the east and south walls, a hexagonal stair turret at the south-east angle, and a garderobe shaft and internal passage within the east wall. The passage also passes through the south wall. (SB, 19-Dec-2003) <2>

The house is first mentioned in the Parliamentary Survey of the Dean and Chapter (1649) which indicated it was a pre-Civil war prebendal house. It continued to be a canonical residence until 1845 and then became the vicarage house to St Mary's Church until 1966. The earliest phase of the medieval house was clearly a great hall dating to the 13th or early 14th century built within the south and east arms of the Close moat. It is unlikely to antedate the construction of the close wall at least on the eastern side. Two east-west ranges projected from the western wall, of unknown length. The southern range incorporated a shouldered lintel and the northern range is only known from a short section of the foundations. There is no evidence that the undercroft was vaulted prior to the 1710, so that a timber floor to the hall may be presumed. The hall was served by the inter mural passages on the east and south sides; the latter communicated with the stair turret but the connection between it and the former passage is clearly secondary. The hall must have been open to the roof, but the stair turret rose first to another level of intra-mural passages, from which access was most probably gained to a high-level gallery over part of the hall. The stair turret probably continued to a parapet walk. Between the late 15th and early 16th century the property was re-roofed and by this time the accommodation comprised three ranges; hall, solar block and service wing arranged in a half-H plan. Other alterations were also carried out. In the 16th to 17th century the solar block was probably demolished and it is possible that this was contemporary with the insertion of a floor in the great hall. A 16th century ceiling was fitted either in the hall or the principal chamber which was subsequently cut up and used for studwork in the attics during early 18th century alterations. It seems likely that the medieval parapet walks and the top stage of the stair turret were demolished no later than the 17th century. The undercroft appears to have been divided into three rooms during the 17th century. The medieval service wing probably stood until 1710 when it was demolished to make way for Canon Horton's classical red brick wing. The house was shortened and the accommodation replanned at this time. The surviving medieval and Tudor parts of the house were refurbished and became the service quarters. There are at least two, probably three, phases of work datable to the early 19th century; this includes a new wing was added 1804-5. The change of use from a canonical residence to a vicarage was accompanied by several relatively minor structural alterations in the mid 19th century. The vicarage was sub-divided after the Second World War. (DAL, 29/03/2010) <3>

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken in the north-west cellar of the property in June 1988. Evidence of brown mortar and (? Sandstone) blocks was recorded. (SB, 17-Nov-2011) <4>

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