The Nunnery of St. Sepulchre was probably jointly founded by St. Anselm and William Cauldwell (Cauvel) in the late 11th century, on land belonging to St. Augustine's Abbey and had a parochial church attached to it under the patronage of Christ Church Priory. The small establishment, which was poor for most of its life, housed a lady Prioress and five or six nuns. The nunnery was dissolved in 1536 and many of the major buildings were probably destroyed at that time and their exact location lost. The nunnery boundary wall and a range of buildings on the Oaten Hill frontage probably survived until the 18th century. One of the earliest maps of Canterbury showing this area (dated c. 1640), depicts two gates interupting the boundary wall on the Oaten Hill frontage. The gate on the north-west, flanked by road-frontage buildings, may have been the main gate and gatehouse range giving access to the nunnery (located at the present intersection of Oaten hill and Cossington road). The second gate, situated in the south-west corner of the enclosure on the Oaten Hill frontage, may have given access to the parochial church and cemetery. (10)

Description from record TR 15 NE 135:
(TR 15255727) Site of St Sepulchre's Priory (Benedictine Nuns) found c1100. (1-4) The Priory of St Sepulchre, Benedictine Nuns, was founded c1100 and dissolved in 1536. Elizabeth Barton 'Holy Maid of Kent' became a nun here in 1527, and was executed in 1534. (5) St Sepulchre's Church - parochial as well as church of the Benedictine Nunnery founded in the later 11th century, destroyed mid 16th century.Now under No 41 Old Dover Road [TR 15275725]. (6) Part of a 16th century brick barn on the St Sepulchre's site in Cossington Road was recorded. The wall which contains medieval architectural fragments may have to be demolished. (7) (TR 15285731). In July 1983 during the cutting of foundation trenchesfor a new house in the back garden of Nos 1 and 2 Oaten Hill Court elements of two late medieval chalk-block constructed cellars possiblyassociated with St Sepulchre's Nunnery were exposed. Many of the major buildings were probably destroyed at the time of dissolution and their exact location lost. The nunnery boundary wall and a range of buildings on the Oaten Hill frontage probably survived into the eighteenth century. One of the earliest maps of Canterbury showing this area (c1640), depicts two gates interrupting the boundary wall on the Oaten Hill frontage. The gate on the north-west, flanked by road-frontage buildings, may have been the main gate and gatehouse range giving access to the nunnery (located at the present inter- section of Oaten Hill and Cossington Road). The second gate, situatedin the south-west corner of the enclosure on the Oaten Hill frontage, may have given access to the parochial church and cemetery. (8)

Boundary walls associated with St Sepulchre's have been excavated nearby (TR 15 NE 922), alongside medieval remains (TR 15 NE 2066). (9)

<1> Canterbury in Olden Time 119 (J Brent) (OS Card Reference). SKE38541.

<2> VCH Kent 2 1926 142-4 (RC Fowler) (OS Card Reference). SKE50945.

<3> MRH Eng and Wales 1953 211 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE47440.

<4> Ant of Canterbury 1703 36 map (W Somner) (OS Card Reference). SKE33227.

<5> MRH Eng and Wales 1971 253 257 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE47442.

<6> Inf (T Tatton-Brown 1984) (OS Card Reference). SKE44303.

<7> CAT Ann Rep 1979-80 34 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38663.

<8> The Arch of Cant 8 1987 41-43 plan (S Frere P Bennett J Rady and S Stow) (OS Card Reference). SKE49985.

<9> Pegasus Group, 2017, FORMER ATC SITE COSSINGTON ROAD, CANTERBURY BUILT HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT (Unpublished document). SKE55907.

<10> Bennett, P., 1987, No. 1 Oaten Hill Court, in The Archaeology of Canterbury, Vol VIII; Canterbury Exacavtions Intra- and Extra-mural Sites 1949-55 and 1980-84 (Article in serial). SKE30441.