St Nicholas Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds

 So this entry is coming to you some time after my last post as I felt it was time to refresh the blog and update it a little bit. I came across the photos I took sometime ago, in fact back in 2015. I was on a day out visiting places from my childhood around Norfolk and Suffolk when I came across this site. Having visited Bury St. Edmunds many times before I had never explored this particular area of the town however I am so glad I did on this particular day and I stumbled across a ruin on a fork in the road. 

This ruin looked very much like a church with a grand arched stone window, carefully carved. Flint walls with stone blocks at the ends grew out of the grass to a height of approximately five or six foot. Remains of pillars or decoration could be seen in the form of carved stone pillar bases. 

Knowing nothing of this site I started my usual research on the Internet to see what I could find, I was intriguied by this site and wanted to know more. I was fairly certain that it was monastic in origin however I was uncertain as to what form it was. Was it a church, or maybe it could have been a small abbey, or maybe a buiding linked to the grand abbey at Bury St. Edmunds.

This site is located just outside the town to the east on Eastgate Street.

After sometime of research I found out that the site I explored was once a monastic hospital known as St Nicholas Hospital. It was formed before the year 1224 however an exact date is not known by an unknown abbot of Bury St. Edmunds. It was administered by and consisted of a master, a chaplian and several brethren. 

One of the first recorded entries for the hospital was in 1224. This entry relates to the permission received from King Henry III by the master of the hospital to hold a feast and vigial of the Translation of St. Nicholas. Other entries in history around the hospital have been recorded surrounding pardons and charters which relate to the hospital aquiring land in and around Bury St. Edmunds.

Very little is known about this site, we know it was a hospital but was this a hospital in the sense of a Leprosy hospital, was it to care for the poor and sick. Little information about its use exists. 

My Thoughts on the site

Having stumbled across this site I needed to stop and take a look. I was intrigued and interested to find out more. Unfortunately I was unable to obtain access to the other side of the walls however I explored the side of the walls I could. I took some photos of the wonderful stone and flint work and was very impressed with the old window. It appears as though the walls and stonework are still tended to and repaired when necassary. While the site was not hugh and neither was this particular section of the building it clearly had a monastic tilt to it, it was clear to see that throughout its life it was in someway connected to a monastic life.

 

Background information and reading with some information contained within this post has been adapted from material at https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/suff/vol2/p134

 

 

Orford Castle

So here we see Ordford Castle on the Suffolk coast. Built by Henry II in the early 12th Century, around 1165 as a way to reassert royal authority and dominance across East Anglian. Up until this time the only royal fortress in the region would have been the castle at Norwich.

During his reign, Henry faced many uprisings with the barons of East Anglian rebelling especially Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk. Even though he had confiscated Hugh Bigod's castles at Framlingham and Bungay, Orford was ideally situated to control the local barons but also to counter the threat presented by the Flemish mercenaries hired by Hugh Bigod to do his fighting for him.

Due to Henry II being someone who ekpt detailled records we know that Orford Castle cost £1413 to build, out of the yearly royal income of £10 000. 

We know that the castle was attacked and put under seige at several points throughtout it's history. We know from records that King Louis of France captured the castle in 1216 whilst in battle against King John. We also know the descendents of Hugh Bigod captured the castle twice however never held it for long.

As we as being a fortress it was a royal palace, with many state of the art features such as en-suite facilities in the form of a personal urinal along with latrines or toilets that flushed to the exterior of the castle. We believe that tapestries hung on the walls and mats of rushes would have been placed on the floor.

By looking at the overall design of the castle we assume that there were two great halls over two levels, and that they may have been used as a hall for public functions and the other for private functions. Within the turrets leading off the halls you will find the private apartments, kitchen and chapel. At the very bottom of the castle,down the grand staircase into the mound it sits upon we find the basement. The basement is complete with a 45ft deep well in the very centre of the room, which could be used to draw up salty water. The basement was also used to store vast quantities of food. This was vital if the castle was beseiged at any point.

When I arrived at the site, I was in awe and wonder at such a magnificent castle, the keep is well preserved and dominates the landscape around it. At first I experience a very strange feeling, as though I was being watched. The day was very windy and there was a slight chill. However I felt very safe and protected whilst inside the castle building itself. Even though the castle sits just outside the village of Orford, you could easily think that you were isolated from civilisation within the castle. One side of castle borders that of the former habour and Ness of Orford and the other borders village. Regardless of the feelings I experienced Orford Castle is extremely impressive, and well worth a visit. I wished that I lived within the castle myself.

Leiston Abbey

Leiston Abbey originally started life as St Mary's Abbey at Minsmere in Suffolk. It was founded by Ranulf de Glanville in 1182 however due to unhealthy and undesriable site conditions due to being built on swampy groung the abbey moved from Minsmere to its present location in 1363. Very little is left at the original location due to it being dismantled for building materials to build the new abbey at Leitson, however sections of the proiry chapel can still be seen at Minsmere.

Leitson Abbey was home to a group of Augustinian Canons Regular following the premonstratensian rule. They held many duties including preaching and pastoral work unlike monks.

 Like so many other abbeys, priories and monasteries, Leiston Abbey fell victim to the dissolution of the monasteries, after which is fell into ruin and become a farm with the farm house being built into the ruins of the abbey. Today the site is under the guardianship of English Heritage.