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Dean's Yard, Westminster, comprises most of the remaining precincts of the historically greater scope of the monastery or abbey of Westminster, not occupied by its buildings. It is known to members of
Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
as Green (referred to without an article). It is a large gated quadrangle, closed to public traffic, chiefly a green upon which the pupils have the long-use acquired exclusive rights to sit, read and to play games such as football (they have some claim to have invented the modern game). For some centuries until a point in the early seventeenth century it was a third of its present size, since to the south stood the
Queen's Scholar The Kings's Scholarships (or Queen's Scholarships) are forty-eight scholarships (eight per year until Sixth Form, then twelve per year) at Westminster School, (re)founded in 1560 by Queen Elizabeth I. The scholars take part in each Coronation o ...
s' dormitory, which was in monastic times the granary. Its stones support
Church House Church House may refer to: Buildings Diocesan and national ecclesiastical offices * Church House (Presbyterian Church in Ireland), Belfast, Northern Ireland, headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland * Church House, Brisbane, Queenslan ...
. ; Adjoining buildings * East: school buildings * South: Church House, a conference centre and offices of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
* West: school buildings and Westminster Abbey Choir School * North: flanking archway to the Great
Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...
: Abbey offices and part of the Deanery. Historically the Abbey was one of the last ecclesiastical sanctuaries to surrender ancient rights such as sanctuary. Over centuries, residents included many politically disfavoured and dangerous inhabitants. They were held in check by the Abbot's own penal jurisdiction, and by the knowledge that the Abbot could instantly expel them to meet their fate at the hands of common law. The Abbey Gatehouse was split into two prisons: one belonging to the Abbot and one for the constables outside.
Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
displays a royal pardon from Charles II of England and Scotland to the King's Scholars, whose actions killed a bailiff harassing the mistress of one of them in Dean's Yard, accused by his fellow authorities of murder. Whether he was excused for reacting to the breach of some vestigial sanctuary, in stark contrast to the
English Commonwealth The Commonwealth of England was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when Kingdom of England, England and Wales, later along with Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, were governed as a republi ...
where such rights were undeniably defunct, or for a moderate degree of violence that may have been used, such as might have resulted in a manslaughter charge were the victim not a bailiff, is unrecorded. The Abbey's Sanctuary extended beyond, as far as the north side of Parliament Square to a short approach, Thieving Lane, through which thieves were taken to the prison (see Richard II's gatehouse, Old Palace Yard) without entering sanctuary and being able to claim its immunity,The Fascination of London: Westminster: Part I; Sir Walter Besant, G. E. Mitton and Mrs A. Murray Smith republished: by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018 ; recited at http://www.theundergroundmap.com/wp/the-fascination-of-london-westminster/ but in the tenements of which prostitution took hold.
HM Treasury His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury or HMT), and informally referred to as the Treasury, is the Government of the United Kingdom’s economic and finance ministry. The Treasury is responsible for public spending, financial services policy, Tax ...
is built upon its site, leading to accusations that thieving still continues there, especially at times of higher taxation or departmental cuts.


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* {{Westminster Abbey, state=collapsed Squares in the City of Westminster