The House of the Crutched Friars was situated on the south side of Crouch Street just west of its junction with Maldon Road. The house originated in the 12th or 13th century as a hospital and chapel founded by the Lords of Stanway. The Friary is first recorded in 1251. The hospital (called at times St Cross Hospital) was endowed by an early master with at least 6 acres in the suburbs of Colchester, recovered by another master in 1285, but by 1401 had fallen on hard times and the chapel (called at times St Cross Chapel) which then comprised of nave, chancel and bell-tower and other buildings was in great need of repair. In 1403 the chapel was given local burial and baptism rights. In the early 15th century a second chapel was built dedicated to St Mary, and adjoining St Cross Chapel. In 1538 the prior and community granted the church, churchyard and priory buildings including stables, barns and dovecotes to Thomas Audley. In 1573 Elizabeth Walleys quitclaimed her life interest to John Watson, reserving to herself and her husband a house and garden at the west end of the precinct wall, against the Spital house, presumably in the north west corner of the site. Part of the friary buildings, a north and a south range joined by a wall, may have survived during the early 17th century but were probably demolished when Sir Harbottle Grimston Bt bought the Crutched Friars in 1637 and built a house on the site for his son. The house was fired by retreating royalists during the siege of Colchester. About 1700 the surviving building was converted into a town workhouse, it appeared then to be a recent building, apart from some windows in the east wall. In 1865 the plot of land was sold for redevelopment.<1> At the time of the Dissolution, in addition to the chapel (the two now incorporated) and the hospital there was a 'Belfry, Cloister and other edifices, and the churchyard' according to Philip Morant.<2>

The precinct and related buildings are shown on Norden's 1610 map <3> and The Plan de Colchester c.1645.<4> The Friary is also marked on the 'Siege Map' of c.1650.

A number of excavations and observations have recorded burials and foundations in the vicinity of 32-46 Crouch Street:

A series of burials of medieval date were discovered c.1895 at 38 Crouch Street.<5>
Various foundations and burials were noted by E.J. Rudsdale during work at 42 Crouch Street in 1928.<6>
Two probable medieval burials were observed in stanchion holes at 42 Crouch Street in 1977.<7>
Burials of an uncertain date were noted in some stanchion holes during the construction of an office block at 32 Crouch Street in 1981.<8>
The east end of the church of the Crouched Friars was defined in during a watching brief and excavation in 2007, in advance of redevelopment at 38-42 Crouch Street.<10> This work confirmed that the large east-west building excavated in 1988 at 42 Crouch Street, MCC467 (Colchester Building 181), is part of the west end cloisters of the same church.<9>