Building record MLI34032 - Lord Burghley's Hospital, Stamford
Summary
A hospital/almshouse built on the site of a former medieval almshouse.
Type and Period (3)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
PRN 34032
The Burghley Almshouses were founded in around 1597 by William Cecil for 13 poor men, one of whom was to serve as warder. The almshouses were built on the site of the hospital of St John the Baptist and St Thomas the Martyr, founded in around 1170. A few fragments of Norman masonry may be seen on the east corner of the main range facing the river. The main range consists of a row of two storeyed stone almshouses with provision for ten rooms in the west range and two rooms in the smaller east wing. Access to the rooms was via a long corridor to the south and the upper storey is approached by a common staircase externally. The west range has five steep dormers to the river and six tall chimneys.{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}
Lord Burghley's Hospital was formerly the 12th century Hospital of Thomas and St John. The hospital was established in around 1170 to 1180 to cater for travellers and the local poor and sick. Fragments of the medieval hospital survive in the north east corner by the bridge. After the Dissolution, the hospital was bought by William Cecil and was maintained as an almshouse until 1597 when it was formally endowed. The new almshouse catered for 13 old men. It underwent extensions and alterations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the south façade was considerably altered in 1964. {6}
The building at the east end of the site dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and incorporates part of the structure of the 12th century hospital. A new range was added on the west in the 17th century to accommodate 10 of the 13 men stipulated in the Founder's ordinance. There is an eroded datestone on the central gable which probably reads '1616'. Various later alterations were carried out and in 1964-5 the rooms were completely rearranged. {2}
For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {7}
The medieval hospital was described in 1299 as consisting of a hall, chamber, solar, kitchen and bakehouse with chambers for the chaplain and the sick. It possessed a a burial yard. Parts of this building became incorporated into Lord Burghley's almshouses in around 1597. {3}{8}
Sources/Archives (9)
- <1> SLI1062 Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p 698.
- <2> SLI912 Bibliographic Reference: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1977. An Inventory of Historical Monuments. The Town of Stamford. No 49, p 42, plate 80.
- <3> SLI927 Bibliographic Reference: PRESCOTT E. 1992. THE ENGLISH MEDIEVAL HOSPITAL C.1050-1640. P 140.
- <4> SLI1102 Bibliographic Reference: Hartley, J.S. and Rogers, A.. 1974. The Religious Foundations of Medieval Stamford. no 26, pp 50-51.
- <5> SLI2751 Index: Ordnance Survey. O.S. cards for Stamford. STAMFORD. TF 00 NW :16, 1961,FC.
- <6> SLI12378 Bibliographic Reference: Smith, M.. 1990. Stamford Almshouses. p.4.
- <7> SLI6708 Index: Department of the Environment. 1974. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 1/237.
- <8> SLI9009 Bibliographic Reference: Linda Crust. 2002. Lincolnshire Almshouses: Nine Centuries of Charitable Housing. No 37, p 19; No 102, p 41.
- <9> SLI12932 Bibliographic Reference: ROGERS, A.. 1970. The Medieval Buildings of Stamford. No 19, p 28.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 03026 06894 (60m by 38m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | STAMFORD, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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