Nottingham by Scott Lomax

Author:Scott Lomax [Lomax, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Medieval, Ancient, General
ISBN: 9781473829992
Google: Vy8RBQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-10-17T03:37:29+00:00

Churches, Chapels, Friaries and Hospitals

Anumber of religious institutions are referred to in documentation about Nottingham’s past but usually there is no archaeological evidence relating to them on account of development having destroyed any evidence or the site of the institution being unknown. For example, St Mary’s Lazar hospital for Lepers is known to have been located near Chapel Bar, outside the town defences, and was referred to in 1330247 but there is no archaeology for it. The same is true of St Leonards Hospital which was also established for the care and confinement of sufferers of this terrible affliction. Only those in existence during medieval times, where archaeology has assisted in our understanding will be discussed here, but archaeology has been undertaken for all of the key institutions.

It should be emphasised here that the word hospital in the context of a medieval institution is not the same as the modern understanding of the word. Hospitals in medieval times were generally buildings established for the benefit of the poor and needy, not necessarily just the ill, and religion played a major role in their administration and day to day running. They were usually owned, or at least financed, by a church and usually contained a chapel for worship of the divine but also any earthly benefactors.

The three churches in the medieval town of Nottingham still survive today, as St Mary’s, St Peter’s and St Nicholas’ churches. Archaeology has provided evidence for the history of each of these churches as well as other religious institutions long gone.

Domesday mentioned the existence of one church, which has been presumed to be St Mary’s Church on High Pavement, being the only church known in the Lace Market during the medieval period and being within the confines of the pre-Conquest borough standing on the highest point of its land. Thus the site of St Mary’s is the most likely location for this early church. There is no evidence within the fabric of the building for St Mary’s church during the Saxon period or early post-Conquest period. It is likely later rebuilds and modifications have destroyed, or at least concealed, the earliest remains of the church.

The church today stands as a cruciform building with tower. It has been commonly believed that construction work commenced c. 1376 with later additions, such as the tower being built during the reign of Henry VII (1485 to 1509).248

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