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Early History
The Minories is a building and gardens situated at the east end of High Street in Colchester near Hollytrees, Gate House and Colchester Castle.

In 1731, it was purchased by Isaac Boggis, a successful bay maker (or "baize manufacturer", for £420, and was one of the largest Tudor houses in Colchester. His son, Thomas Boggis, inherited the house in 1762, when he employed an architect (probably John Alefounder (1732-1787)) to remodel the building, turning parts of it into an elegant Georgian residence. The Boggis family lived in the house for almost 200 years. From 1821 to 1915, the building had several owners and tenants, one of whom was Dr. Becker, a GP whose son, Harry Becker, lived there for a time while he learned his trade as a landscape painter and went on to become one of East Anglia's best known artists.

In 1915, Geoffrey Crawford Bensusan-Butt and his wife Dr. Ruth took over the lease, purchasing the property in 1923 along with a portion of land that included the Gothic Folly, that was previously part of East Hill House's garden and originally stood at the end of an avenue facing an obelisk at the opposite end. Dr. Ruth (sister-in-law of Lucien Pissaro the painter, and brother of the prolific Essex author, S. L. Bensusan) was one of the first female GPs and used the front rooms of The Minories as her consulting rooms and also opened Colchester's first infant nursery there. One of the Bensusan-Butt's three children was the English economist, David Bensusan-Butt.

The Victor Batte-Lay Trust
In 1956 Dr. Ruth, who had survived her husband, sold The Minories along with the garden to the Victor Batte-Lay Trust (which became the Victor Batte-Lay Foundation in 2013), which was set up by Margaret Eleanore Batte-Lay to purchase and enow a building in Colchester as a memorial to her husband "for the benefit of the inhabitants of Colchester and in particular those who shall take an interest in the artistic and antiquarian features of that town." From 1963-74 R. A. Bevan was chair of the Victor Batte-Lay Trust. The Minoreis was sold on the proviso that Dr. Ruth would be able to continue living there in a ground floor flat – now the Garden Café – which she did so until her death in 1958.

The Victor Batte-Lay Foundation has provided a public cultural and artistic centre for Colchester and North-East Essex for well over 45 years. No 73, the house next door to The Minories, was purchased and added in 1975 with funding from Eastern Arts and the support of local professionals. The Minories, run by the Trust, continued to show a rich variety of work by regional, national and international artists, sculptors and crafts people such as Edward Bawden, Leon Underwood, Eric Ravilious, Harry Becker, John Bratby, John and Paul Nash, Lucien Pissarro, Cedric Morris, Christopher Wood, Bill Brandt, Maggi Hambling, Jacob Epstein and Valerie Thornton. Mark Wallinger held one of his very first exhibitions in August 1983 at the Minories.

By the early 90's the Trust's resources had reduced significantly and the gallery closed in 1992 leading to a period of uncertainty. In 1994 the Minories reopened when firstsite took on the lease and continued to deliver some of the Trusts obligations.

The Friends of The Minories
The Friends of the Minories is the name of the association of supporters of the Minories. They have been organising fundraising events for the gallery since 1976. Their aim is to support the Minories by maintaining its walled garden and to provide the opportunity for mostly local people to become involved in the cultural life of North East Essex and of the many visitors to Colchester.

The Friends organise 4 to 5 events each year, mainly visits to places of interest, thereby enabling members and friends to contribute towards the upkeep of the Minories garden with its 18th century Gothic Folly. Both garden and Folly are registered with the Essex Gardens Trust of which the Friends are group members.

The Minories Today
In early 2008 firstsite left The Minories and moved into Crouch Street while their new building was developed, and in June 2008 Colchester Institute took on the lease for the Minories. The site is currently home to The Minories Galleries, a contemporary art gallery run by Colchester School of Art that is open to the public, houses Colchester School of Art's Postgraduate programmes, and acafé that is surrounded by a walled garden. The Minories is next door to firstsite, Colchester’s new contemporary art space, in the centre of St Botolph's Quarter.

Since being run by Colchester School of Art and Colchester Institute, The Minories has presented exhibitions by artists and designers including Joseph Robinson, Abram Games, Romek Marber and Keith Albarn.