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Bishopgate Great Hospital St Helen's tower
[3894] 1950-06-29
"The Hospital of St Giles, commonly known as the
Great Hospital, was founded by Walter de Suffield bishop
of Norwich in 1249. He pulled down the parish church of
St Helens on the south side of Holme Street (now
Bishopgate) and provided accommodation for the
parishioners in his new buildings on the north side of
the street. The Hospital establishment consisted of a
Master, four chaplains, a deacon, sub-deacon and four
sisters (over 50 years old) to minister to the inmates,
and four lay brothers. Its function was to maintain poor
and decrepit chaplains of the diocese of Norwich, and
also to provide 13 poor people and seven poor scholars
with a meal a day. In 1310 the chaplains were increased
to eight and were to wear the habit of secular canons.
The Hospital was dissolved by Henry VIII, but at the
petition of Norwich citizens it was restored to the city
by Edward VI. It is now administered by Trustees, and
with its additional buildings it houses nearly 200 old
people of both sexes.
The buildings are of great interest and represent in the
main a rebuilding of the Hospital in the 14c and 15c. It
is probable that Suffield's parish church was south of
and parallel to the Hospital chapel, both being east of
the infirmary hall. The present arrangement (somewhat
obscured by 16th century alterations) shows an aisled
church of three bays, intervening between the infirmary
hall and the large chancel, the latter being of unusual
size to accommodate the chaplains who were functioning as
chantry priests. The aisle arcades bear the arms of Prior
Nolet (1453-71) Bishop Goldwell (1472-99) and Sir James
Hobart, one of Bishop Goldwell's executors (d. 1507), and
also the sun in splendour, the badge of Edward IV. The
chancel had been built previously by Bishop Spencer
(1370-1406) and was completed in 1385, the year that
Richard II and his queen, Anne of Bohemia, visited
Norwich. Its richly panelled roof, with 253 painted
eagles, is supposed to commemorate the queen. The long
vaulted porch is probably part of an earlier structure
and the elaborately vaulted Lady Chapel appears always to
have contained the parochial altar. The infirmary hall is
an extension of four bays west of the church, built in
plainer style, and at its south-west corner is a large
tower, adjoining the destroyed south aisle. The cost of
the tower was defrayed by a bequest of John de
Derlington, Chancellor, who was Master of the Hospital,
1372-5. To the north is a cloister, with a dining hall on
the west, where the daily meals provided by the founder
were no doubt served, and lodgings for the master and the
chaplains on the north. The apartments to the east, one
of which is said to have been the Chapter House, have
disappeared, but the doorways remain. When the hospital
was reconstituted under Edward VI, both the infirmary and
the Chancel were separated by walls from the Church, and
floors were inserted to provide two storeys in each.
These are fitted with cubicles the one for men and the
other for women. The architectural detail is of
considerable interest and the church has good
fittings." (Walter H.Godfrey in The
Archaeological Journal Vol.CVI, 1949) |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital St Helen's S side [7107]
1993-12-05
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St Helen's tower S transept from Bishopgate [2288]
1938-04-10
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Bishopgate Great Hospital and St Helen's [B112]
1931-00-00
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Bishopgate Great Hospital S porch entrance [4065]
1952-03-20
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Bishopgate Great Hospital S porch tablet [6600]
1990-04-11
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Bishopgate Great Hospital cloister entrance [3895]
1950-06-29
And former refectory. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital cloister view NW [2295]
1938-04-12
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Bishopgate Great Hospital Birkbeck Hall [3891]
1950-06-29
East side of hall. Erected on site of old brew house
1901. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital Chaplain's house [2543]
1938-07-13
St Helen's Square, north side. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital Chaplain's house [6751]
1991-11-09
Reconstructed dormers. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital offices [2542] 1938-07-13
St Helen's Square, north side. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital Master's house [2544]
1938-07-13
St Helen's Square, east side. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital Eagle ward E end [3988]
1951-04-23
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Bishopgate Great Hospital kitchens [3888] 1950-06-29
North of cloisters. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital new alms houses [3890]
1950-06-29
Built 1937, architect S.J.Wearing A.R.I.B.A. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital right Prior Court [6752]
1991-11-09
Left 19c alms houses. Right Prior Court opened 1980. |
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Bishopgate Great Hospital swan pit [3889] 1950-06-29
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Calvert St Doughty's Hospital [4660]
1962-03-28
Founded by William Doughty under the terms of his Will
dated 1687. The present buildings date from 1869. |
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Calvert St Doughty's Hospital matron lodge [4666]
1962-06-11
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Recorder Rd Stuart Court [6337] 1985-08-15
A commemorative tablet records that "these
housen" were built by members of the Colman family
in memory of James Stuart, 1915. |
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St Benedict's St St Swithin's Alms houses
[4718] 1962-09-11
Plough Yard, St Benedict's St. Founded 1691 by bequest
from Edward Temple. Rebuilt here in 1903. |
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St Martin's Lane Cooke's Hospital [4665]
1962-06-11
Originally built by Robert and Thomas Cooke at Rose Lane
in 1692. Transferred here 1892. |
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Union St Melbourne Cottages [7357] 1996-07-07
Built 1949-50 by Norwich City Council to house elderly
people. Originally for those whose homes were destroyed
during air raids of the Second World War. |
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Unthank Rd 49 The Elms [6598] 1990-04-11
Rowntree Mackintosh alms houses. |
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Unthank Rd Ryrie Court sheltered housing
[6784] 1992-05-16
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West Pottergate 68 to 78 Pye's Alms houses
[4661] 1962-03-28
Here the Inner Link road and the redevelopment west of it
have wrought much change, including the demolition of a
row of six former almshouses at Nos 68-78 West
Pottergate. Pye's almshouses, originally established near
St Gregory's church, were given in 1614 by Thomas Pye to
house six poor people, whether married or single, above
the age of 50. In 1827 those houses were given by the
Corporation to one, Joseph Bexfield in exchange for these
six newly-built cottages, together with the sum of £200,
which was to be invested to be applied towards keeping
the houses in repair. The six people chosen were to be
selected, two from each of the parishes of St Michael
Coslany, St Giles and St Peter Mancroft; and to avoid any
error, above each pair of doorways was a stone tablet
inscribed with the name of the parish concerned.
Although not meeting the standards set by old people's
homes of the present day, the appearance they presented
to the street was a pleasant one and in this respect at
least their loss is much to be regretted. |
Norwich Almshouses
