Minster House, removed in 1883, adjoined the south-west corner of Bristol Cathedral. The cathedral was created in 1542 from the former St Augustine’s Abbey, which had been the head house in England of the Victorine branch of the Augustinian canons. Minster House was used as a prebendal house from 1542 and had formerly been accommodation for the abbey’s prior. Most of the house remains dated from the fifteenth century onwards but did include one wall of twelfth century date. The excavation uncovered part of the western claustral range or cellarium, dating from the twelfth century but rebuilt in the fourteenth century, including a bell tower and outer parlour. Evidence for bell-founding and tile production was also found, while there were finds from all periods from the 1100s onwards. This book looks at the history, archaeology and finds, and includes nineteenth century illustrations of Minster House.

AUTHOR
John Bryant was site surveyor for the 1992 excavation of Minster House. Over his career he worked on many excavations and recorded numerous buildings, also producing desk-based assessments and some environmental impact assessment chapters. He has worked on projects across Southwest England and South Wales.

REVIEW
‘This is an important and well-researched book which will be of interest to anyone concerned with the history of Bristol and with the former abbey and splendid cathedral which dominate part of the central area of the city.’ Joseph Bettey, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society

‘This is an important site and in a city that has seen relatively little (published) excavation of its important medieval past. The publication also includes a very rich array of finds reports, and would be of considerable interest to a range of material culture researchers.’ Dr Hugh Willmott, University of Sheffield