Crouched Friars

The Crouched Friars, or Crutched Friars, was a medieval hospital in existence by 1235. Its unusual name refers to the cross-headed staff, known as a crutch, carried by the Friars. The modern street name Crouch Street preserves the name of this building. In common with Colchester’s other monasteries, the Crouched Friars was closed by Henry VIII in 1538 and later demolished.