St Giles' Leper Hospital (EHER 7713)

Remains of the medieval leper hospital of St Giles. Founded in 1164 by Henry II for the relief of the leprous burgesses of the town, it had become a general hospital for the poor, aged and infirm by the end of the 14th century. In 1401 it became a free chapel and in 1481 it was conveyed to Beeleigh Abbey. It closed in 1538 and the land and buildings were granted to Thomas Dyer in 1547 for domestic use. The hospital was in use as a barn by 1763. The remains are cruciform in plan, with four arms projecting from a central crossing. The northern and southern arms are interpreted as transepts and the eastern arm as the chancel. It is possible that the western arm served as the hall for the hospital inmates, while the rest of the building acted as the chapel. The remains are roofless. The surviving walls, of flint rubble with reused Roman brick, are mainly 12th century in date with some 13th and 14th century alterations. Summary from record 38469: Late C12, and later, leper hospital chapel, now in ruins.

Monument description derived from merging with EHER 7714 and EHER 38469: October 1951. Grade I listed. A late 12th century leper hospital chapel, now in ruins. It is built from septaria and flint rubble with Roman-brick bonding courses and dressings with 13th century alterations and 16th century repairs in red brick. The remains suggest a cruciform plan. The eastern arm stands to the probable original eaves level in most places. Standing remains constitute the north wall of the chancel; east and west walls of the north transept with short returns to north incorporating the springers of the north windows; and the east, west and south walls of the south transept. The foundations of an apse excavated in 1920 are marked out within the space of the crossing. The Inquisition of 1402 stated that the Hospital of St Giles was founded by one of the Kings of England for the maintenance of a chaplain to celebrate divine service daily, and of the leper burgesses of the town. In 1164 the Pipe Roll 10, Henry II, records the first annual payment to the infirm of Maldon. It was probably actually founded by Mantell, the Lord of the Manor, as a dependence of the Augustinian Bicknacre Priory. It was granted to Beeleigh Abbey in 1481. After the Dissolution the Chapel was used as a barn and was still roofed in 1921. <1> See photo <2>. August 1923, revised July 2003. Scheduled Ancient Monument. The hospital was founded in 1164 by Henry II for the relief of burgesses of the town affected by leprosy. It had a prior/master and a chaplain to say divine service daily in the chapel. During the course of the 13th and 14th centuries, with the numbers afflicted with leprosy decreasing, St Giles' became a general hospital for the poor, aged and infirm. In 1401 the hospital became a free chapel, independent of the control of the parish priest. In 1481 the hospital was conveyed to Beeleigh Abbey, a move approved by Bishop Kemp subject to the Abbott undertaking all burdens of the hospital and undertaking to say Mass at least once a week in the chapel. With the dissolution of Beeleigh Abbey in 1538 the hospital closed. In 1547 Henry VII granted the land and the hospital buildings to Thomas Dyer and his wife for domestic use. By 1763 the hospital was owned by Lieutenant General Montolieu and was in use as a barn. In 1899 a local historian described the 'barn' at Spital Farm as ruinous and dilapidated and by 1910 the roof had collapsed. Subsequently taken into the care of Maldon District Council, a town guide dating to 1951 describes the hospital as 'now well cared for after years of neglect and used as a farm building.' The plan of the surviving above ground structure is cruciform: four arms projecting from a central crossing. The northern and southern arms (interpreted as transepts) are both 6 square m. The eastern arm (the chancel) is slightly longer (7m in length) and the western arm was as much as 10m in length (based on limited archaeological excavations). It is possible that the western arm served as the hall for the hospital inmates, providing both living and sleeping accommodation, whilst the rest of the building served as the hospital chapel. The structure is roofless. The surviving walls, of flint rubble with reused Roman brick, are predominantly of 12th century date with some 13th and 14th century alterations. Limestone is used for door and window dressings. The walls maintain a height of approximately 3.5m along most of their course, except for the southernmost wall of the southern arm which is 7m at its apex. The western arm of the hospital has been almost completely removed above ground (except for the very beginnings of the side walls). Wall foundations will survive below ground however, and consequently this area is included in the scheduling. <3> <4> 1960. Archaeological excavation. A rubbish pit containing 13th-14th century medieval pottery was found on a housing estate immediately east of the Hospital in 1960. No structural remains were found. <5> October 1976. Field survey. The remains of St. Giles's Hospital (name confirmed) are as described above, and are now preserved within a public garden. The ruins stand to the gable height and contain much red tile in the fabric. These bricks may be Roman but are possibly later. See photographs. Published 1:1250 correct. <6> Ruined. The walls are flint rubble with some Roman brick. The dressings are limestone. Said to have been founded by Henry II for lepers, the existing remains form the east, north and south arms of a cruciform building substantially dating from the end of the 12th century, except the south wall of the south transept which was built in the early 13th century. In the 16th and 17th centuries the ruins were much patched with brick and were used for a long time as a barn. Now they are roofless. Source <1> suggests that the east arm and transepts served as the chapel and the destroyed west arm may have been the hall. Only the north wall remains of the east arm, including a relieving arch in Roman brick; only foundations are left of the south wall. The crossing survives in fragmentary form. The north arm has remains of 12th century windows and a doorway with splays of Roman brick, altered in the 14th century (rear arch and north jamb). The west arm has gone except for start of the side walls. The south arm has a 12th century round arch with Roman brick responds. The south wall stands to full gable height with a triplet of early 13th century windows. There are remains of a 12th century doorway in the west wall. A 17th or 18th doorway has been inserted in the filling of a medieval arch in the north arm's east wall. In the west wall of this arm, a 12th century window is blocked with 17th century brick. Early 13th century lancet windows in the south wall of the south arm are partly filled with 17th century bricks. There is Roman brick in the building fabric, including a rough relieving arch in Roman brick in the east arm; remains of Roman brick responds in the north arm and a splay of a doorway in this arm; and a 12th century round arch in the east wall in Roman brick. One photo. <7> Founded in around 1164 by Henry II for a Prior (or Master), chaplain and leprous burgesses. Later, it became a hospital for the poor, aged and infirm. A project to convey it to Bicknacre Priory in 1396 was unsuccessful but in 1481 it was conveyed to Beeleigh Abbey. It was dissolved in 1538. <8> Founded as a leper hospital in around 1164. In the late 14th century it degenerated into a free chapel as leprosy was not so prevalent. After the dissolution, in 1547 the hospital was granted to Thomas Dyer and his wife. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was repaired with brick. By 1763/1768 it had been converted into a barn. In 1899 it was reported as ruinous and dilapidated. In 1910 the roof collapsed. By 1951 the ruins were in better care. The large amount of Roman brick suggests there may have been a building here. Excavations took place on an adjacent site in 1958/59 prior to development, producing mostly 14th century finds and some Roman pottery. A dowsing survey in June 1983 questioned the cruciform plan of the hospital. Plans in this source show a subtriangular extension to the north arm and subrectangular plan for the west arm. <9> <10> The hospital of St. Giles was probably founded by Henry II in around 1164, for a prior (or master), a chaplain, and leprous burgesses. It later became a hospital for the poor, aged and infirm. A project to convey it to Bicknacre Priory after 1396 did not materialize and it was conveyed to Beeleigh Abbey in 1481. In 1536 it was dissolved. The existing ruins (which contain Roman brick) are roofless, cruciform and mainly late 12th century, though much patched in the 16th and 17th centuries. Grade 1. It may have been the hospital chapel. <11> - <14> Founded in 1164. Large amounts of Roman brick and tile in ruins. <15> St. Giles's Hospital (NR). <16> There is Roman brick in the extant ruins. <17> See also <18> - <21>. Site Assessment: Interesting remains of an early hospital. Reported by RCHM as in bad condition. <7> "Ruined, but in local authority care". <10> By 1951 the remains were in better care than recorded by RCHM. <4>