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Summary

Spital almshouses, built in c.1620 built on the site of the medieval St Edmund's hospital.

Full description

Spital almshouses and chapel are on the site of the medieval St Edmund's hospital (see PRN 50981). {3}
St Edmund's Chapel [PRN 55618] was demolished in 1594 and rebuilt in 1661 by Dr Robert Mapletoft, Master of the hospital from 1660. It was restored in 1890. The chapel and two cottages are all that remains of the hospital. An inscription under the chapel bell cot infers that the building was founded in 1398, demolished in 1594 and rebuilt in 1616 [this should read 1661]. In 1964 Colquhoun reported that the cottages carry a datestone of 1620. {2}
These are an interesting group of buildings forming a quadrangle off the main road. The chapel has straight-headed mullioned-and-transomed windows, the lights with four-centred arches. There is also a bell-turret. Above the doorway is an inscription which tells us that this place was a hostel for the poor in 1398, but not in 1594, and again in 1616. In 1665 the Master of Spital Hospital is recorded as having lately built a chapel, in which the windows may have been re-used. Another stone records a restoration in 1830. The medieval chapel and almshouses were demolished c.1594 and the materials used to build a sessions house (datestone 1619) to the south. It is now a barn. The humble cottages were built in 1620. {1}
For a detailed history see E. Venables, 'an historical notice of the hospital of Spital-on-the-Street', (1889). {5}

<1> Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram, 1989, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), 2nd Rev Edn p682 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1062.

<2> OS CARD INDEX, SK 99 SE:3,1964, COLQUHOUN F (Index). SLI2559.

<3> SMR FILE, SK 99 SE:AE,1983, D.E.S. (Index). SLI3086.

<4> Department of the Environment, 1985, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, HEMSWELL (Index). SLI9214.

<5> VENABLES, E., 1889, Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers, VOL 20 pp.264-298 (Article in Serial). SLI416.

Monument Types

• ALMSHOUSE (Post Medieval - 1620 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

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