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Ware Priory
 From
a medieval friary, where weary travellers including Royalty stayed
en route to London, to an Ancient Monument used by a town council
to serve a modern town – that is the briefest history of Ware’s
Priory.
The original friary was founded in 1338 (no one knows the story
of how it came to be known as The Priory). After the dissolution
of the monasteries by Henry VIII in the 1530s, the building has
undergone many phases of construction and alteration during its
650 year life. Being in private ownership, a hospital during the
first World War, and then in 1920 the owner, Mrs Anne Elizabeth
Croft, daughter of Mr. Henry Page, one of the most influential maltsters
of Ware in the 18th century, gave the Priory, then valued at the
huge sum of £10,000 to the town. Ware Town Council as Trustee
of the Priory Charity is now the freeholder.
Taking the Priory into the 21st century has been a major conservation
project. Much remains of the known Friary buildings. The original
back walls of the cloister are probably indicated by the main beam
that runs the length of the present hall and by the heavy west wall
of the entrance hall. Much of the main wall structure almost certainly
survives from the 15th century, and a very strong indication of
this is the roof construction. One of the crown posts is now restored
and exposed in a beautifully appointed room. After this major programme
of restoration and refurbishment, providing function rooms, offices
and a new function room on the site of the old Victorian conservatory
at the rear, the building was officially re-opened by HRH the Duke
of Gloucester in November 1994.
The seven acres of riverside grounds are open to the public and
include gardens, playground, basketball court and access to a bowling
green and putting green. A heated open-air swimming pool is open
during the summer months; it is one of the few remaining Lidos in
the country. A bandstand on the Ware Priory Island is the site of
regular summer concerts and of the annual ‘Rock in the Priory’,
the final event in the Ware Festival.
In 1995 Ware Priory was one of the first venues in East Herts to
be licensed for civil marriage ceremonies. This led to Ware Priory
now being recognised as one of the most sought after Wedding venues
in the County.
FLETCHER’S LEA
 Based
on the success of Ware Priory as a functions venue, a plan was formed
by the trustees to further develop the site by demolishing some
unsightly timber annexes and sheds and creating a new purpose designed
building for community, social and commercial hirers. It was named
Fletcher’s Lea and opened, as with Ware Priory, by HRH the
Duke of Gloucester in March 2007.
The name is in memory of John Fletcher, a former Town Clerk of Ware,
and the site’s proximity to the wonderful river Lea.
Fletcher’s Lea was constructed in conjunction with Carbon
Trust to ensure its green credentials. It does, however, benefit
from state of the art presentation equipment, and allows for an
increase in guest numbers up to 220.
GETTING TOGETHER AT WARE PRIORY
The unique and historic qualities of Ware Priory linked with the
contemporary style of Fletcher’s Lea, ensures the ability
to cater for virtually any function or event. All rooms have their
own character and enjoy access to the beautiful riverside gardens
and their abundance of wildlife.
The first class catering service ensures that both hosts and guests
are assured of happy, memorable and successful events at Ware Priory.
The Ware Priory team will be delighted to send details and to show
you around when you need an extra special venue to ‘Get Together’.
Tel 01920 460316 e-mail info@warepriory.co.uk www.warepriory.co.uk
The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Our Grade I listed parish church stands proudly at the top of
the High Street opposite the Priory where it has been the focus
of worship and civic life since the 14th Century.
The origins of the present building are attributed to the endowments
of The Fair Maid of Kent, wife of the Black Prince. The sturdy flint
faced building with a tower, topped by its Hertfordshire spike,
is a constant reminder to every one of the centuries of witness
in the parish that is as lively today as it ever has been. The churchyard
contains some interesting tombstones and an unusual ‘listed’
monument in the second churchyard.
In the church, which is open as often as possible, there is a simplified
tour guide that emphasises points of particular interest. The 14th
century font is of particular note, as is the stained glass, particularly
the Te Deum window in the north transept. Both transepts contain
brass memorial plates dating back to the 15th century. Looking at
the ceiling you can see the colourfully painted bosses of Tudor
roses and the shield of Trinity College Cambridge. Henry VIII bequeathed
the ‘living’ of this parish to Trinity College and we
are proud that this link remains firm today. You may also wish to
count the ‘red devils’, the corbels that support the
roof sturts.
Amongst the tombs of note are those to the Fanshawe family on the
south side, and those in the chancel to Rev. Charles Chauncey and
the extraordinary detailed legal document serving as a memorial
to William Murvil. Don’t miss the quill pen on the tomb above
the north door leading to the extension where many social events
take place.
Whenever you visit we hope you will see and hear some of the many
regular activities; flower arranging, children’s groups, hear
our campanologists ringing the fine eight-bell peal in the tower
or hear the choir rehearsing for our services to mention but a few.
Before you leave do look at the kneelers around the central altar.
In these the shop fronts of Ware High Street, unchanged in hundreds
of years, are picked out with wool. Our church, the “Old Lady
of Ware” is central to this depiction as it still is today
in the life and activity of our town.
The church is well worth a visit and you will be very welcome.
Reconstructed Model of the Ware Friary
The Franciscan Friary was established in 1338 when Thomas Lord Wake
of Liddel gave property to the Friars Minors to establish a House
of the Greyfriars in Ware. This may have included a pre-existing
building which would have served as the main element of the new
foundation. Over the years the Friary expanded and between 1414
and 1420 a major reconstruction was carried out. This was undoubtedly
sparked by the events of the early 15th century. In 1414 Henry V
suppressed the Alien Benedictine Priory at Ware which had been founded
by Hugh de Grantmesnil in 1078. At this time it appears that the
Friars Minors took full advantage of the situation to salvage timber
and building materials from the now defunct Priory to rebuild and
enhance their original buildings. In 1538 – exactly 200 years
after its foundation – the Franciscan Friary was dissolved
on the orders of Henry VIII. Thomas Cromwell, the King’s Minister,
plundered the Friary for any valuables and saleable goods. He turned
the remaining Greyfriars out onto the street. He had the Friary
church and many of the other buildings slighted so that no further
use could be made of them in the future.
What we see now, as the home of the Ware Town Council, is the south
range of the original cloisters, part of the west claustral range
and the guest house which has a superb scissor-braced timber roof
and ornate King posts. In the Tudor period these remaining standing
buildings were gifted to or brought by Robert Bryche – a trusted
servant of Cromwell’s crew. It was turned into a spacious
and comfortable Tudor Home. Over the years the buildings had undergone
many changes. Then in 1848-50 George Godwin, a well respected Victorian
architect, carried out extensive renovations and un-blocked many
previously blocked windows and doorways to restore the old Friary
buildings to a reasonable semblance of its original appearance.
In 1993-94 much needed renovation and repair work was carried out
and revealed other hitherto hidden aspects of the original Friary.
In the 1950s and 1970s various episodes of pipe laying revealed
substantial remains of the slighted buildings. An extensive Geophysical
Survey carried out in 2002 with GPR (Ground Probe Radar –
a modern adaptation of the surface to air radar first pioneered
in WWII) and Resistivity metering, which measures the comparative
ground resistance of any walls, pits and ditches buried underground.
All of the various pieces of information that have been gathered
together over the years has made possible a reconstruction of the
Friary as it may have appeared in the later 15th century.
The view is from the north-west, looking south across the Lea Valley,
and shows, to the north, the position of the Friary church. South
of this are the cloisters and cloister garth. The southern cloisters,
part of the original western claustral range and the Guest House
are what remain today. The probable position of the Friary farm
is shown to the west of the main buildings.
Copyright Reserved.
 Scott’s
Grotto
Did you know that the country’s largest grotto is tucked
away in a street of modern houses in Scotts Road in Ware? Scott’s
Grotto is a Grade I listed building, constructed in the 1760s and
restored in 1990 by the Ware Society on behalf of the owners, East
Herts Council. Inside there are six chambers decorated with flints,
minerals, fossils and thousands of shells from around the world.
Visitors come from all around the world too, and television programmes
featuring the grotto attract many from this country.
You can see this unique piece of heritage for yourself on any Saturday
or Bank Holiday Monday from the beginning of April to the end of
September between 2pm and 4.30pm. Just come along WITH A TORCH –
it’s dark!
Entrance is free but a donation of £1 is requested from adult
visitors. Group visits can be arranged at other times by appointment
with the curator, Mrs Janet Watson (01920 464131). Please see www.scotts-grotto.org
for pictures and opening information.
Christ Church
Christ Church in New Road was consecrated on 9th November, l858
by the Bishop of Rochester. The church, the then vicarage and the
school was provided for by Robert Hanbury. It is built in the early
English style of architecture, of ragstone from Kent.
A large and thriving worshipping community, it continues to serve
needs within the parish and town. Through its facilities it provides
a venue for groups, concerts and celebrations and its many members
continue to be a Christian witness to the wider community.
Information about services and activities is available from the
Church office 01920 487267 or from the church web site www.christchurchware.co.uk
Place House - Bluecoat Yard
Place House in Bluecoat Yard (off East Street) was Ware’s
mediaeval manor house. It had associations with many high-ranking
personages through the years. One such was Joan (the Fair Maid of
Kent) whose son by her second husband the Black Prince was Richard
II. Another was Mary Tudor, granted the manor by her brother Edward
VI. Her badge of a Tudor rose combined with a pomegranate is carved
on a screen which may be seen in the hall.
The high status of Place House is evidenced by its design –
an aisled timber-framed hall similar to a church (now encased in
16th and 17th century work). The timbers are richly moulded. There
is a crown post and a scarf joint – both dated in Cecil Hewett’s
book to 1295.
Although children from Christ’s Hospital were fostered in
Ware as early as 1564, Christ’s Hospital did not purchase
Place House as a school until 1674. An eastern wing which had been
added prior to the purchase was designated as the schoolmaster’s
house (this is now in residential use). 12 cottages were erected
and these, together with the original stable-block and the gatehouse
(now a fish and chip shop) housed 150 boys and their nurses. The
hall was modified to make space for teaching pupils. In 1761 the
school was closed and pupils moved to Hertford. The uniform of a
Christ’s Hospital pupil was and is still a dark blue coat
and yellow stockings, as seen in the replica statue in the niche
above the archway at the entrance – hence Bluecoat Yard.
After the closure of Christ’s Hospital school the buildings
were let and in the 1800s became a school for young ladies.
Place House was acquired by Hertfordshire Building Preservation
Trust in the 1970s.
The Ware War Memorial Fund used assets to make a donation towards
the restoration and many local organisations use the hall as a pleasant
meeting place.
The hall was offically re-opened by HM the Queen Mother in 1978.
The Gazebos
Along the river frontage at the rear of the properties on the
south side of the High Street are the 18th century Gazebos which
are a delightful and unique feature of Ware. Whilst there may be
individual Gazebos elsewhere in Britain, nowhere else do they survive
as a group as they do on the river Lee in Ware. These riverside
“summerhouses” stand in the former gardens of the High
Street Coaching Inns that used to run down to the river.
 The
Maltmaker Statue
The Maltmaker Statue, Ware Memorial Gardens, High Street –
especially commissioned to mark the Millennium, this bronze life
size plus a quarter statue of a Ware maltster and his cat was erected
in Autumn 1999.
Other Buildings
The former are some of the main buildings of interest but Ware is
a collection of buildings of historic interest, some of them not
so easily recognisable as such in the present day. When in the High
Street, look up sometime from the shop fronts where the first floor
elevations and roofs will give an indication of former uses and
importance of the buildings. Examples of other buildings include:
27-29 High Street - Now two Banks, Barclays and
Lloyds TSB, formerly The George Inn 1570 (Pepys, Defoe and Issac
Walton all stayed there).
49 - 5l High Street - Site of the l5th century
Bear Inn later the Falcon. Became the Falcon Foundry, run by Charles
Wells in l830s making fittings for the Maltings. Presently a Stationers.
57 High Street - Once the Bull Inn which received up to
20 mail coaches each day and became the collecting point for mail.
Until 1994 the Main Post Office, now the home of the Saffron Walden
Building Society.
61-63 High Street - This 15th century building
was rebuilt in 1624 to include a Roman Catholic Chapel. It became
the Royal Oake Inn after the restoration of Charles II in 1660.
Now an opticians.
65-67 High Street - 15th century Christopher Inn,
one of the largest in Ware. From 1760 to 1964 it was part of Harradence’s
Department Store. Now a Furniture Store.
70 High Street - Built by public subscription in
1827 as a Cornmarket, on the site of an earlier market hall. It
became a shop in the 1840s and was restored in 1985. Presently an
Estate Agent.
75 High Street - HSBC Bank - Site of former White
Hart Inn, dating from 1426 or earlier.
84 High Street - Empty at present. Dates back to
the early part of the l7th century and is thought to have been built
by Henry VII for his mother Lady Margaret Beaufort, a Lady of the
Manor. Once known as “Gilpin House” after John Gilpin’s
erratic ride to Ware. Contains early ornamental plaster ceilings
to two rooms overlooking West Street.
87 High Street - Now the Library, formerly the
Crown Inn 1539, thought once to have housed the Great Bed of Ware.
2 West Street - When renovated, timbers were discovered
that have been dated back to 1260 making it probably Hertfordshire’s
oldest town house.
5 West Street - Tesco Supermarket - Formerly White
Swan Inn, l9th Century.
French Horn Court (Church Street) - formerly l7th
century inn with l9th Century front, actors played here.
9 Church Street - The Manor House - thought to
have been once part of the Benedictine Priory of Ware.
40 Crib Street - Formerly the Red Cow Public House.
23 Baldock Street - Early l6th Century, formerly
the Black Swan Inn - recorded as an inn in 1654 and as a house in
1622, now offices and known as Baldock House.
Look around and you will find many more.
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Ware and its Neighbours
