The Lost Cloister of St Mary Overie, Southwark

This article examines the evidence for the medieval cloister of the priory of St Mary Overie, Southwark, now completely lost. This includes maps and other antiquarian evidence; archaeological evidence; carved architectural stones; and a small but important group of figurative sculpture with Synagoga as the principal surviving element. The cloister and its ranges are shown to be typical of Augustinian houses, while the architectural details of the arcades are very fine. The sculptural assemblage is unusual and significant, and it is argued here that it originated in the chapter-house.