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Summary

This site originally held St Peter’s Hospital, which was renamed St Leonard’s Hospital. The hospital was located to the West of the Minster (see SE65SW335). The building was constructed by William Rufus under Augustinian rule and became one of the greatest of all the English hospitals. The remains are scheduled and consist of a building believed to be the ambulatory and chapel, in early 13th century style, and a small remnant of undercroft (temps. William II) preserved under the Theatre Royal. Part of the boundary wall in the garden of the Conservative Club and behind St. Wilfrid's Church is said to have been visible in 1955. See G.Ps AO 63/114/4, 5 & 6 for illustrations of the hospital remains. One small section of the boundary wall incorporated into the modern building line, survives at SE 6014 5215.

Monument Type(s)

• HOSPITAL (Rebuilt by William II, Medieval - 1087 AD to 1100 AD)
• HOSPITAL (Renamed, Medieval - 1135 AD to 1154 AD)
• CHAPEL (c1240, Medieval - 1220 AD to 1260 AD)
• HOSPITAL (c1240, Medieval - 1220 AD to 1260 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building
• Conservation Area
• Scheduled Monument

Full description

Ruined remains of chapel, infirmary and entrance passage of St Leonard's Hospital. c1240. Magnesian limestone.

EXTERIOR: 2-storey 2-bay undercroft and chapel; 4x3-bay undercroft and 4-bay entrance passage beneath infirmary. Chapel front towards Library Square: 2-storey buttressed gable end on chamfered plinth. Right return has C20 battened panel door in chamfered doorway with 2-centred head and hoodmould on moulded imposts. Undercroft has splayed lancet windows on each side. Chapel gable end has triple lancet window beneath moulded hood originally on detached shafts of which moulded bases and capitals survive: windows on both returns have 2-centred heads, corbel stopped hoods and continuous sillstrings. In gable apex is cusped oculus in chevron moulded surround.

INTERIOR: not accessible. Infirmary undercroft doorway to left of chapel similar to chapel doorway. Undercroft vaulted in chamfered ribs springing from octagonal piers with moulded bases and capitals or from moulded corbels. Windows at rear are rectangular with splayed surrounds on the outside, shouldered inside. Entrance passage arches at each end are semicircular: outer end to Museum Gardens is of 3 orders, the inner chamfered: right side dies into the wall, the left springs from chamfered respond with moulded impost. Inner end to Library Square is of 2 orders, both chamfered and springing from responds with moulded capitals and bases. Interior vaulted with chamfered ribs springing from moulded corbels. Scheduled Ancient Monument.

(City of York: RCHME: The Central Area: HMSO: 1981-: 93).
Listing NGR: SE6005652059

Derived from English Heritage LB download dated: 22/08/2005

YAT, 1998-2000, INTERIM 23, 23/1 (Serial). SYO2663.

Sources and further reading

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